EDITORIAL POLICY

This Editorial Policy sets out the principles, standards and procedures that govern the DBA Africa Management Review (DBA-AMR), a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. It applies to all authors, reviewers, editors and readers engaging with the journal, and is reviewed periodically by the Editorial Board to reflect evolving best practice in scholarly publishing.

About the Journal

The DBA Africa Management Review(DBA-AMR) is a quarterly publication of the University of Nairobi (Nairobi, Kenya) in the Department of Business Administration under the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences. The journal was established in 2012 to provide a scholarly platform for the dissemination of high-quality, original research in business and management, with a particular focus on the African context. Africa’s dynamic economies, institutions, and communities offer rich, underexplored contexts for impactful scholarship. By centring African perspectives, scholars can generate globally significant insights, shape sustainable development, and influence decision-making across sectors. We encourage authors to develop rigorous, relevant manuscripts grounded in African realities across business practices and scholarship. In particular, we encourage research that draws on local data, indigenous practices, policy challenges, and commercial ingenuity to advance theory while informing practice. We invite scholarly articles that are thought-provoking yet interesting, and whose target audience is broad and covers practitioners, scholars and policymakers.

Aims and Scope

The primary aim of DBA-AMR is to advance rigorous, evidence-based management scholarship that addresses the practical realities and strategic challenges facing organisations operating in Africa and other emerging-market contexts, while remaining relevant to the global body of management knowledge. The journal seeks to:

• Provide a credible outlet for original, high-quality research that contributes to theory, policy and practice in business and management.
• Strengthen the link between academic research and managerial practice across public, private and non-profit sectors in Africa.
• Promote research capacity building among doctoral scholars, early-career researchers and practitioners.
• Foster scholarly dialogue and collaboration between African researchers and the international management research community.

DBA-AMR welcomes empirical, conceptual, theoretical and case-based contributions across the following thematic areas:

• Strategic Management
• Insurance and Risk Management
• Marketing Management
• International Business
• Supply Chain Management
• Financial Management
• Human Resource Management
• Production and Operations Management
• Procurement Management
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
• Public Management and Governance

Submissions that fall outside these areas but make a clear contribution to business and management scholarship in Africa may also be considered at the Editor-in-Chief's discretion.

Open Access Policy

The DBA-AMR is published under ISSN-2224-2023 as an Open Access (OA) Journal in English. All content is made freely available online immediately upon publication, without subscription or registration, on the principle that unrestricted access to research supports a greater global exchange of knowledge and maximises the visibility and impact of African management scholarship.

Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of articles, and use them for any other lawful purpose, subject to appropriate attribution to the original authors and the journal, in line with the licence terms described under "Copyright and Licensing" below. No article-access or subscription fees are charged to readers or their institutions at any time.

Peer Review Process

All research articles, case studies and conceptual papers submitted to DBA-AMR undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process intended to safeguard the quality, originality and academic integrity of published work. The process generally follows these stages:

1. Initial editorial screening: Upon submission, the editorial team reviews the manuscript for fit with the journal's aims and scope, completeness, adherence to formatting guidelines and a preliminary check on whether the manuscript meets the general acceptance criteria. A key requirement at this stage is that the manuscript must be anonymised and with no indication of the authors.
2. Desk rejection: Manuscripts that are out of scope, of insufficient quality, not anonymised or that raise ethical concerns at the screening stage may be desk-rejected without external review, with reasons communicated to the author(s) to allow for revisions and possible resubmission.
3. Assignment to reviewers: Anonymised manuscripts that pass the initial screening stage are assigned to a minimum of two independent, qualified subject-matter reviewers. Both the authors’ and reviewers’ identities are withheld from one another throughout the process (double-blind review).
4. Review and recommendation: Reviewers assess the manuscript's originality, theoretical/practical contribution, methodological soundness, clarity and relevance to the journal's scope, and submit a recommendation to: accept, accept with minor revisions, reconsider after major revisions, or reject. They may also attach an anonymised list of suggested changes to their recommendations.
5. Editorial decision: The Editor in chief or Associated Editor, guided by the reviewers' reports and, where necessary, additional/third reviewer input in case of conflicting recommendations, then makes the final decision and communicates it to the author(s) together with the reviewers' comments.
6. Acceptance: The authors will be advised of the decision and subsequent steps to allow the manuscript proceed to the copyediting and typesetting stage.
7. Revision and resubmission: The Authors will then requested to revise their manuscripts within given a stipulated period within which to respond to reviewer comments and resubmit, accompanied by a point-by-point response to reviewers.
8. Rejection: The authors will be advised of the final decision and the reasons leading to the decision.
9. Final decision and production: Once a manuscript is accepted, it proceeds to copyediting, typesetting and scheduling for publication in the next available quarterly issue.

The DBA-AMR Journal targets an initial editorial decision within 4 weeks of submission, though timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript. The journal maintains records of the peer review process for each manuscript for accountability and audit purposes.

Editorial Responsibilities

The Editor-in-Chief and all editorial staff of DBA-AMR are accountable for everything published in the journal and are guided by the core principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Editors shall:

• Evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual and scholarly merit; originality, contribution, methodological rigour and relevance without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or institutional or political affiliation.
• Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and do not disclose information about a submission to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers and, where necessary, the Editorial Board.
• Ensure a fair, timely and rigorous double-blind peer review process, and make decisions based on the manuscript's merit and reviewers' recommendations, free from commercial or personal considerations.
• Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest, including submissions from close collaborators, family members, or their own institution's units where impartiality could reasonably be questioned.
• Safeguard the integrity of the published record, including taking appropriate action in line with COPE guidelines on allegations of misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication or duplicate publication.
• Ensure that advertising, reprints or other commercial considerations do not influence editorial decisions.
• Continuously monitor and improve the journal's editorial policies, review processes and publication ethics standards.
• Publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies whenever needed

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to DBA-AMR are expected to uphold the highest standards of scholarly and ethical conduct. Specifically, authors shall:

• Submit only original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration elsewhere, except as a preprint or as a previously presented conference abstract clearly disclosed at submission.
• Ensure that all data, findings and interpretations presented are accurate; fabrication, falsification, or selective misleading reporting of data is strictly prohibited.
• Appropriately cite and reference all sources of information, ideas, data or text used in the manuscript, and avoid plagiarism in all its forms.
• List as authors only those who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution or interpretation of the study, and ensure all listed authors have approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
• Disclose any financial, professional or personal relationships that could be perceived as a conflict of interest in relation to the submitted work.
• Confirm that the research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data was conducted in accordance with applicable ethical standards and, where applicable, obtained the necessary institutional ethics approval and informed consent.
• Respond promptly and constructively to reviewer and editor feedback during the revision process.
• Promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief of any significant error discovered in a published article and cooperate with the editors to issue a correction or retraction where warranted.
• Comply with the journal's formatting, referencing and submission guidelines(See Author guidelines).

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers play a central role in maintaining the scholarly quality of DBA-AMR. Reviewers are expected to:

• Accept only review invitations that fall within their area of expertise and that they can complete within the requested timeframe.
• Conduct reviews objectively, constructively and professionally, providing clear, well-substantiated comments that help authors improve their manuscripts.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding the manuscript under review and not disclose or discuss its content with third parties, nor use unpublished material from the manuscript for personal advantage.
• Declare to the editors any conflict of interest; personal, financial, institutional or intellectual, that might bias their review, and decline the assignment where appropriate.
• Alert the editors promptly to any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, or other ethical concerns identified in the manuscript.
• Provide feedback that focuses on the scholarly content of the work and refrains from personal criticism of the author(s).
• Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe, and communicate promptly with the editorial office if unable to do so.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

DBA-AMR Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all reasonable measures to prevent the publication of manuscripts involving research or publication misconduct. The journal's ethics framework is informed by the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The Editorial Board through the Editor in Chief is responsible for deciding which submitted manuscripts are published, guided by academic merit, adherence to legal requirements (e.g., on defamation, copyright infringement and plagiarism) and consultation with reviewers as necessary.

The journal treats the following as forms of misconduct and will investigate any credible allegation, whether raised before or after publication: data fabrication or falsification; plagiarism (including self-plagiarism); duplicate or redundant publication; undisclosed conflicts of interest; unethical research practices, including research involving human or animal subjects without appropriate ethical approval; guest, ghost or gift authorship; and manipulation of the peer review process.

Allegations of misconduct will be investigated in line with COPE's guidelines and flowcharts. Depending on the severity and outcome of the investigation, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction; notify the author's institution; or bar the author(s) from future submissions.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their published work. Upon acceptance, authors grant DBA-AMR Journal the right of first publication, while the work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) licence, unless otherwise stated for a specific article. Under this licence, others may copy, distribute, remix, adapt and build upon the published work, except for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal, a link to the licence is provided, and any changes made are indicated. Authors are permitted, and encouraged, to deposit their published articles in institutional or subject repositories and to share them on personal or professional websites, provided the original publication in DBA-AMR Journal is acknowledged.

Archiving and Repository Policy

To ensure the long-term preservation, discoverability and accessibility of its published content, DBA-AMR Journal is hosted on the University of Nairobi Journals (OJS) platform, which is backed by the University of Nairobi's institutional digital infrastructure. All published articles, issue metadata and supplementary materials are archived on this platform.

• Published articles are additionally deposited in the University of Nairobi Digital Repository, ensuring an independent, institution-level archive. The authors will also be required to sign the University of Nairobi’s Institutional Deposit Agreement Form.
• Authors are permitted and encouraged to self-archive the final published version (or accepted manuscript, where applicable) in institutional, subject or funder repositories immediately upon publication, consistent with the journal's open-access and CC BY licensing terms.
• The journal encourages the use of preservation standards and, where feasible, participation in third-party archiving initiatives to safeguard continued access to content in the event the journal ceases publication.

Publication Fees

The DBA-AMR Journal levies a publication fee of USD 200 (or 20,000 Kenyan Shillings) per accepted manuscript. This fee is payable only after a manuscript has completed peer review and has been formally accepted for publication; no fee is charged at the point of submission, and submission/review outcomes are never influenced by an author's ability or willingness to pay.

The publication fee covers the direct costs of managing the editorial workflow, copyediting, typesetting, digital hosting, indexing and permanent open-access archiving of the article. Under exceptional circumstances, authors who do not have funds to pay such fees may request a waiver through the Editor-in-Chief and such requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis and subject to the available resources.

Payment instructions, including approved payment channels, are communicated to authors together with the letter of acceptance.

Conflict of Interest

The DBA-AMR requires all parties involved in the publication process (authors, reviewers and editors) to disclose any interests that could be perceived to influence, or that could reasonably appear to influence, their judgement or objectivity.

• Authors must disclose any financial support for the research and any financial or personal relationships (e.g., employment, consultancy, honoraria, patents, or personal relationships with individuals involved in the review process) that could constitute a conflict of interest.
• Reviewers must decline to review, or disclose to the editors, any manuscript where they have a competing personal, financial or professional interest with the author(s) or the subject matter of the research.
• Editors must recuse themselves from the editorial handling of any manuscript in which they, their close collaborators, or their institution have a conflict of interest, delegating the decision to another qualified member of the Editorial Board.

Declared conflicts of interest do not automatically disqualify a manuscript, review or editorial role, but must be disclosed transparently so that appropriate safeguards such as reassignment of the manuscript can be applied.

Corrections and Retractions

The DBA-AMR Journal is committed to maintaining an accurate, reliable and permanent scholarly record and follows COPE guidelines on corrections and retractions. Where an honest error is identified in a published article that does not undermine the overall findings or conclusions, e.g., a typographical error, an incorrect figure, or an omitted funding acknowledgement, the journal will publish a formal correction linked to the original article, describing the nature of the error and the correction made. An article may be retracted where there is clear evidence of unreliable findings resulting from a major error or research misconduct, e.g., data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research, or where the content is subject to a legitimate legal or ethical concern such as defamation, copyright infringement, or lack of ethics approval. A retraction notice will be published, clearly linked to the original article, explaining the reason for retraction; the original article will be retained online, marked as "Retracted", to preserve the scholarly record.

Where an allegation of misconduct is under investigation and cannot be resolved quickly, or where evidence is inconclusive but there are well-founded concerns, the journal may publish an expression of concern pending the outcome of the investigation.

Indexing, Metadata, and Standards

The DBA-AMR Journal publishes under ISSN 2224-2023 and applies internationally recognised metadata and indexing standards to enhance the discoverability and citation of its content. The journal:

• Assigns structured, standardised metadata (title, author names and affiliations, abstract, keywords, references) to every published article, in accordance with OJS/Dublin Core metadata conventions.
• Registers article-level metadata with relevant national and international bibliographic, abstracting and indexing services and directories to facilitate discovery.
• Adheres to accepted scholarly publishing standards for manuscript structure, referencing (APA style) and reporting, to support interoperability with citation databases and reference-management tools.
• Continually pursues inclusion in recognised regional and international indexing and abstracting databases as part of its ongoing quality-improvement programme.

Authors and institutions are advised to consult the journal's website for the current, up-to-date list of databases and directories in which the DBA-AMR Journal is indexed.

Plagiarism

DBA-AMR has zero tolerance for plagiarism in any form, including verbatim copying of text, close paraphrasing without attribution, unattributed use of others' ideas, data or results, and self-plagiarism

All manuscripts should be submitted with a plagiarism report. They will be further screened using similarity-detection/plagiarism-checking software as part of the initial editorial screening, and may be re-checked at any stage before publication.

• Manuscripts found to contain a high or unexplained similarity index will be returned to the author(s) for revision or desk-rejected, depending on severity.
• Where plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal will investigate in line with COPE guidelines and, where confirmed, will issue a correction or retraction, notify the author's institution, and may bar the author(s) from future submissions to the journal.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all quotations, data, figures and ideas drawn from other sources are properly cited and referenced, and that permission has been obtained for the reuse of any copyrighted material, e.g., figures or tables where required.

Business Model

The DBA-AMR Journal operates a not-for-profit, institutionally supported open-access business model. As a journal of the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi, its core editorial and hosting infrastructure is supported by the University.

Beyond institutional support, the journal's operating costs (peer-review coordination, copyediting, typesetting, hosting and archiving) are sustained through a modest, author-side publication fee charged only on acceptance (see "Publication Fees"). The journal does not charge readers or institutions for access, does not rely on subscription revenue, and does not accept advertising or sponsorship that could influence editorial decisions. This model is designed to keep the journal free to read while remaining financially sustainable and editorially independent.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

DBA-AMR does not levy a separate Article Processing Charge (APC). Submission, peer review and processing of manuscripts through the editorial workflow are entirely free of charge to authors.

The only cost payable by authors is a flat Publication Fee of USD 200 (Kes. 20,000) which is charged solely upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication (see "Publication Fees" above).

No additional charges apply for the number of pages, colour figures, or standard formatting.

Publication Frequency

DBA-AMR is published quarterly, with four regular issues released per calendar year. The journal may, from time to time, publish additional Special Issues such as those arising from special events or conferences alongside its regular quarterly schedule.

Contact Information