Vikalpa The Journal for Decision Makers

Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers is the journal of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (www.iimahd.ernet.in). Launched in January 1976, this peer-reviewed journal is published quarterly. The word Vikalpa, in Sanskrit, carries a rich repository of meanings: diversity, alternatives, logic, and freedom of choice. The journal seeks to reflect this range of meanings vis-à-vis management research, managerial problem solving, and decision-making in two ways: by adopting a broad understanding of management, viewed from the context of emerging economies including India, and by publishing a mix of research-based academic articles, reflective perspectives, management cases and commentaries, and colloquia.

Vikalpa adopts a broad understanding of management that encompasses the various functional areas within management as well management practice. Thus, the content covered in recent years spans the latest developments in the following:

• Accounting and Control
• Agriculture and Rural Development
• Communication
• Economics
• Finance and Banking
• General Management
• Information Technology and Systems
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• International Management
• Marketing
• Operations Management
• Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
• Public Systems, including Health and Education, and Government
• Strategic Management and Leadership

The regular features of Vikalpa include the following:

• Perspectives include reflective contributions on emerging issues and ideas that call for action or rethinking by managers, administrators, and policy makers in organizations.
• Research articles, which are based on rigorous theoretical or empirical research, contribute to the academic literature while illustrating the practical applicability and/or policy implications of the research undertaken.
• Colloquium includes a debate on a contemporary topic by about five to eight academicians and practitioners. Vikalpa usually invites respected academics to organize Colloquia; persons interested in organizing Colloquia may also write to the Editor.
• Management Case describes a real-life situation faced, a decision or action taken by a manager or by an organization at the strategic, functional or operational levels.
• Diagnoses are invited analyses of the management case by respected academicians and practitioners.
• Book Reviews include invited reviews of current books on management.

This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).