“My recommendation is that you wait until you are too old to care before you attempt to do scholarship that has meaning for you or anyone else. Otherwise, you might never hit the mark that truly matters: publishing one or more articles in a handful of journals that the research elite believe are the center of the academic universe.”
This tongue-in-cheek mentoring from a senior faculty member in your current PhD program or first appointment may seem a bit extreme, but many doctoral students and junior faculty have received the message. The explicit warning is that you need to concentrate on what might be publishable in order to receive tenure and/or promotion so that you have a secure career in the academy. The implicit message is that doing research that is designed to satisfy needs beyond mere acceptance at a select group of journals is foolish and that one can only “act the fool” after “walking the line.”
This advice appears to steer junior faculty onto a path that leads to happiness and fulfillment because the ultimate aim of any academic career is tenure, right? However, consider some of the possible downside risks associated with such wisdom. First, it assumes that doing research you are passionate about is less likely to be successful. Why is this so? Are journal editors opposed in principle to work that is a means to a fulfilling life rather than a means to narrow ends? Do scholars give less effort to research that has intrinsic value versus simply instrumental value? The answers to the latter two questions are obvious. Editors publish papers that are worthy, with little regard for author motivation, and authors work more diligently on research that they find rewarding.
Second, this advice assumes that research on issues that might have larger societal implications will not see the light of day in journals that matter. Once again, is this so? Across the set of top journals in the marketing and consumer behavior fields, topics such as poverty, homelessness, bottom-of-the-pyramid markets, public policy, and a host of others have been included over time. True, these issues have not dominated journal space, but the lack of prominence may be due to limited coverage rather than a concerted effort to limit exposure by editorial gatekeepers. Also, most faculty members are not housed in the top 20 research universities, and their options for publishing research are much broader. Not surprisingly, the second- and third-tier outlets tend to be much more open about content in order to gain market share.
Third, this advice suggests that narrow research targets at the center of the marketing field are more likely to be of interest to the best journals and their editors than work that explores the edges of the discipline. A final time: is this so? In many cases, well-worn theories and methods, regardless of how elegant and sophisticated they become over time, tend to advance thinking in such small increments that the level of contribution is suspect. On the other hand, studying the boundaries of collective work may reveal novel perspectives that cross boundaries and change the ways we perceive marketing phenomena. It is also of interest to the larger media, something that many journals and deans now hold in esteem.
What You Can Do
The recommendation is clear. An academic career, from start to conclusion, should be built on scholarship that sustains a faculty member because of its intrinsic value, and many scholars who look at issues of greater societal impact have such motivation. In general, this job is characterized by limited guidance and reward structures, which require scholars to have self-discipline and individual interest in order to be successful. What pass as requirements for tenure, no matter how tenuous or ambiguous, morph into nonexistent or inexplicable expectations that become even less meaningful after final promotion to full professor. Legislation, fundraising, and markets go up and down, leaving few, if any, opportunities for pay raises. If the primary reasons for pursuing scholarship are tenure, promotions, and equity adjustments, how long would one continue to write? This perspective is consonant with the sad fact that faculty often give up on scholarly ambitions long before retirement.
To arrive at our ambitious goal takes less effort than one may think. Working on and writing about topics that hold marginal interest but (hopefully) have higher probability of acceptance is much harder work than reading and studying phenomena that are intrinsically exciting. For graduate students and junior faculty, the door can be opened simply by reading widely in the larger field and seeing what stimulates hearts/emotions as well as intellectual curiosity. If no one in the institution has an interest in a developing passion, there are potential colleagues around the world who will take the time to help nurture your work. Additionally, many conferences across the discipline feature workshops and sessions that orient interested and developing scholars and yield opportunities to meet like minds along with senior scholars.
There are also high-quality journals that have great interest in making the world a better place, one journal article at a time. Among them are the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Macromarketing, and International Journal of Advertising. The editors of these journals often attend a variety of conferences to showcase their offerings and are likely to discuss possible articles because of their desire to build the next generation of scholars so that important issues continue to get coverage. Some other social science outlets also welcome such research, especially if it shows the field as part of the solution rather than the problem.
Do research that will sustain interest for the long run, which is the greatest motivator. Create relationships with students that matter to both parties and become the mentor that a professor should be.
What’s Really Important
The best advice for having a great career that is both rewarding and fulfilling is simple:
- love your family,
- write papers that matter,
- enjoy your students, and
- stay out of office politics.
Academic life often yields a flexible lifestyle; make the most of it! Do research that will sustain interest for the long run, which is the greatest motivator. Create relationships with students that matter to both parties and become the mentor that a professor should be. Finally, avoid gossip, petty hurts, and prideful behaviors, and focus on what truly matters in life: numbers one through three! If this advice works out as planned, please pass it on to your graduate students and junior colleagues as part of your accumulated wisdom.
This article was originally published as chapter 10 of the AMA Transitions Guide: Navigating the Progression from Doctoral Student to Marketing Professor, a Marketing News special report. See the full guide here.
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Ronald Paul Hill is Dean’s Professor of Marketing and Public Policy and Distinguished Professor, American University Kogod School of Business, USA.