What does it take to get promoted in marketing academia? Understanding exceptional publication productivity in the leading marketing journals

Abstract

Institutional competition to retain and recruit marketing scholars capable of publishing in the leading marketing journals has intensified. While increased emphasis has been placed on publication productivity in the leading marketing journals, little is known as to questions such as: (1) What level of publication productivity in the leading marketing journals does it take to getpromoted in marketing academia? (2) What level of publication productivity in the leading marketing journals warrants exception? and (3) What drives research productivity in the leading marketing journals? We draw on the economic concept of imperfect substitution to address these questions using two datasets: (1) a census of publication activity in the leading marketing journals of 337 scholars in the Top 70 institutions promoted between 1992-2006, and (2) anexamination of 2,672 scholars publishing 3,492 articles in the four leading marketing journals over the period 1982-2006. The results indicate that the average number of publications by successful candidates for promotion to associate professor from Ph.D. conferral at Top 10 institutions was .57 articles in the leading marketing journals per year, compared to .47 in the Top 11-20 institutions, .47 in the Top 21-40 institutions and .26 in the Top 41-70 institutions. Findings related to promotion to full professor from both Ph.D. conferral and from promotion to associate professor, and those identified as warranting exceptional publication productivity are also presented. The findings provide substantive implications for marketing academics, those involved with the recruitment and retention of marketing academics and the field of marketing thought.