California Management Review serves as a source of evidence-based research that inspires, informs, and empowers stewards of modern organizations. We disseminate ideas that engage scholars, educate students, and contribute to the practice of management.

Submitting Online

• There is no fee for submitting an In-Depth article for publication consideration in CMR.


• CMR does not accept simultaneous submissions, meaning we will not consider your submission if you’ve simultaneously submitted it to any other outlet for publication consideration.


• CMR does not give publication consideration to manuscripts that have been previously published in other outlets.


• The author(s)' name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript, charts, figures, graphs, or filenames.


• Manuscripts should be double-spaced with 12 point font and run approximately 5,000 to 8,000 words, excluding charts, tables, figures, and end notes.


• Tables, charts, figures, and diagrams should be uploaded as separate documents (in their native format) with references for insertion throughout the document.

Timeline Estimates

• If your submission is properly received, we will send you an automated “confirmation of receipt” within 24 hours. If you do not receive this e-mail, contact CMR immediately, as your submission most likely did not go through.


• If your submission will not be sent out for peer review, you will be notified within four (4) weeks.


• If your submission is selected for peer review, authors can typically expect a preliminary publication decision within 8 to 12 weeks. There are exceptions to this timeframe. E.g, if your submission is part of a special issue, the timeframe will likely be longer.


• Accepted articles are generally published within 6 to 10 months. There are exceptions to this timeframe.

Content Guidelines

CMR interprets management broadly to include subject matter taught in business schools, as well as matter that is applicable to management functions and practices.

Primarily publishing original articles that are both research-based and that address issues of current concern to managers, CMR typically publishes articles that extend our knowledge of a given topic, either by contesting or building upon existing theories or by presenting new empirical work.

Every manuscript should be practitioner-oriented, including prescriptive advice for managers that will help them in their leadership role.

Articles that present the results of original research and analysis are given priority, but we also invite reports on business surveys, analyses or descriptions of new or revised business techniques and perspectives on contemporary social, economic, and political issues.

In-Depth articles retain a strong empirical basis; they are longer and present a deep analysis on the chosen topic. They typically aim to address a notable gap in an existing field of management research.

Style Guidelines

• Articles should be as jargon-free as possible. Terminology and acronyms that are not common knowledge should be defined. Technical material should be placed in notes or appendices whenever possible.


• Three descending levels of headings should be used periodically and consistently throughout the article. They should be descriptive but brief.


• CMR uses endnote style (Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (note); not APA or MLA). Do not use footnotes, in-text citations “(Smith, 2019)”, or a bibliography. Web links and DOI numbers are also accepted. The accuracy of citations and references is the responsibility of the author(s).
  
  Examples:
  
  
  1. Mann, Hamilton. “Escaping Technological Stockholm Syndrome: The Case for Artificial Integrity in AI Design.” California Management Review Insights, September 10, 2025. https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2025/09/escaping-technological-stockholm-syndrome-the-case-for-artificial-integrity-in-ai-design/.
  2. Idson, Lorraine Chen, Nira Liberman, and E.Tory Higgins. “Distinguishing Gains from Nonlosses and Losses from Nongains: A Regulatory Focus Perspective on Hedonic Intensity.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 36, no. 3 (2000): 252–74. https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1999.1402.
  3. Howard, Ann, and Douglas Weston Bray. Managerial Lives in Transition: Advancing Age and Changing Times. 1. [print.]. Adult Development and Aging. Guilford Press, 1988.


• Other style and format questions should refer to the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition (note).


• A recommended citation generator ZoteroBib (zbib.org) can be used. Please ensure Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition (note) style is chosen.


• For more specific style questions, consult a recent issue, read a sample article, or contact us.

Charts & Figures

• Tables, charts, diagrams, and other graphic materials should be used for providing necessary information or clarification of central concepts. They should be clean and uncluttered and should appear on separate pages. If copyright permission is required for publishing this graphic material, it is the author's responsibility to obtain it at his/her cost.


• Please provide high-resolution, native figures or files for your charts and figures in your submission.


• Please make sure to separately upload the individual native files for any charts and figures instead of embedding them in the manuscript document. If you are unable to upload them in the system, please send them as attachments in a separate email to cmr@haas.berkeley.edu. Alternatively, you can send an email that includes a link to where we can download them.