Electronic Journals in Business Schools: Legitimacy, Acceptance, and Use

This research provides insight into perceptions regarding electronic journals: a technological innovation in academia. Acceptance of electronic journals among business school faculty has two hurdles to overcome: technological and, more challenging, garnering legitimacy within the academic community. A survey targeted at business school faculty in the United States was conducted investigating faculty perceptions about the acceptance of electronic journals in their academic discipline. The findings suggest that at the time of publication, electronic publications were seen as less desirable than paper counterparts for tenure and review. However, it appears that electronic counterparts of existing journals would maintain their legitimacy from a promotion and tenure perspective, suggesting that the perceived legitimacy of the journal is the critical hurdle to overcome.