OPEN CALL FOR PAPERS:

Resilience in the Aviation Industry
► Publication date: May 2023

Navigating Geopolitical Risks
► Publication date: June 2023

Generative AI: A Conversation with the Future
► Publication date: July 2023

ESG Reporting Trends
► Publication date: August 2023

Financing Sustainable Circular Investments
► Publication date: October 2023

Blockchain Technologies & Environmental Sustainability
► Publication date: November 2023

Character Leadership as a Competitive Advantage
► Publication date: December 2023

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Resilience in the Aviation Industry

Guest Editors: Sabine Reim and Jim Miller
Abstract Deadline: Accepting abstracts
Article Deadline: April 30, 2023
Publication date: May 2023

During the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, government-mandated air travel restrictions, bans, and quarantine measures resulted in unprecedented disruption and financial loss in the aviation industry.

Now in 2023 — despite worker shortages, high fuel costs, airfare increases, and sustained schedule disruptions — air travel demand is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and the industry is returning to a state of profitability.

However, a return to profitability will not protect the aviation industry from another disruptive event. Instead, the implementation of integrated resilience measures across the aviation ecosystem will be a critical success factor to ensuring the long-term economic viability of the industry. Emerging technologies, regulations, and changed demand characteristics present the opportunity to serve as cornerstones to this transition while also putting greater pressure on players to become active participants in reshaping the industry with a more integrated operating model — or risk being left behind.

An upcoming issue of Amplify, with Guest Editors Sabine Reim and Jim Miller, will explore the strategies and practices that will bolster resilience, optimization, and continuity to ensure a more robust and future-proof industry.

• How did economic models fail in aviation during COVID-19?
• What did the aviation industry learn from success stories in other sectors for its future resilience?
• What proactive measures can be taken to mitigate the effects of a future disruptive event?
• How will the industry take advantage of artificial intelligence and machine learning?
• How will the business model of the industry change with new sustainability mandates and targets?
• How can the path towards decarbonization/net-zero/sustainability be accelerated in the aviation industry? 
• What investments in technology are needed to ensure long-term operational efficiencies?
• How will airports of the future be able to own their campus, considering the context of electrification, sustainable aviation, and 5G, amongst others?
• Is the industry capitalized enough to withstand the challenges of uncertain external events?

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract (~ 300 words or less of the proposed article scope and author(s) bio), to Sabine Reim, Jim Miller, and Christine Generali. The final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics.

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Navigating Geopolitical Risks

Guest Editor: David S. Lee
Abstract Deadline: April 15, 2023
Article Deadline: May 26, 2023
Publication date: June 2023

Geopolitics is impacting today’s global business environment in profound ways. From armed conflict to pandemic policies to strategic and technological competition between China and the West, business organizations and their leaders are dealing with an operating environment that is much more volatile and unpredictable than anything most have previously navigated. Consequently, most organizations and leaders are unprepared to traverse this new business landscape.

Of course, politics has always impacted business in some way but the confluence of globalization, technology, and strategic competition makes today different. A recent Harvard Business Review article, “How Companies Can Navigate Today’s Geopolitical Risks” by David S. Lee and Brad Glosserman describes this new operating environment as the “new national security economy.” The new national security economy is framed by four key factors: 1) the changing and disruptive nature of globalization, 2) competition between China and the West across multiple arenas (e.g., militarily, technological, financial, etc…), 3) the role of critical technologies in dictating geopolitical winners and losers, and 4) the increasing role that business is playing, often reluctantly, in such geopolitical competition. Of course, there are additional approaches that help to capture the broad impact of geopolitics on business. Irrespective of approach, however, it is critical to acknowledge that the outsized impact of geopolitics on business is here to stay and businesses hoping things will return to the way things were is neither helpful nor realistic.

Accordingly, this upcoming issue of Amplify, with Guest Editor David S. Lee, will focus on describing the challenges that businesses and their leaders face due to the rise of geopolitics, how to manage specific geopolitical business risks, and offer principles to guide leaders and organizations through an operating environment that is growing increasingly complex due to such geopolitical considerations.

Article ideas may include, but are not limited, to the following topics:

• Exploring and analyzing how geopolitics and related risks affect business
• How to incorporate geopolitical risk into organizational strategy and decision-making processes in a comprehensive, holistic way as opposed to an ad hoc manner
• Enhancing organizational knowledge relevant for navigating geopolitical risk, especially at the board and C-suite level
• How the evolution of globalization and related interdependency and connectedness has not only provided benefits like free trade but also contributed to increased geopolitical instability and volatility
• Ways that firms in countries outside of strategic competitors balance competing demands (e.g., how a South Korean semiconductor company with meaningful exposure in both China and the United States navigates between demands placed on them by both countries)
• Ways in which industry can inform and shape government strategic policies and regulations
• How businesses can better recognize, navigate, and work within the parameters of regulatory restrictions (e.g., CFIUS, export controls)
• How business values, principles, and purpose are translated and manifested in the face of increasing nationalism, strategic competition, and/or geopolitics
• How might reputational risk be considered and managed in a heightened geopolitical context

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract (~300 words or less of proposed article scope and author(s) bio) to David S. Lee and Christine Generali.  Final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

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Generative AI: A Conversation with the Future

Guest Editor: Michael Eiden
Abstract Deadline: May 5, 2023
Article Deadline: June 9, 2023
Publication date: July 2023

As the field of AI continues to advance, there is a growing need to explore the capabilities and limitations of generative AI. Generative AI refers to the ability of machines to create new and original content, such as images, music, and text, that is similar to what humans create. However, as with any new technology, there are concerns about its potential impact on society and the economy.

An upcoming issue of the Amplify seeks submissions that explore the current state of generative AI, its potential applications, and the challenges and risks associated with its use. We invite papers that address some of the following topics:

• What are the current capabilities and limitations of generative AI?
• What are the prospects for the technology in the upcoming two years?
• What are the potential applications of generative AI, and what impact could it have on different industries?
• What are the ethical and social implications of using generative AI, and how can we ensure that its benefits outweigh its risks?
• How can we address the potential biases and limitations of generative AI, and what role can regulation and oversight play in this process?
• Any other topics related to the use and impact of these technologies ...

FOR CONSIDERATION: We welcome submissions from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working in the field of AI. Please send an abstract (~300 words or less of proposed article scope and author(s) bio) to Michael Eiden and Christine Generali.  Final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

Editor's note: This document was entirely generated by Generative AI with minimal editing by a human.

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ESG Reporting Trends

Guest Editor: Ethan Rouen
Abstract Deadline: May 5, 2023
Article Deadline: June 9, 2023
Publication date: August 2023

Regulators have failed to keep pace with the growing demand for information about companies’ environmental and social impact. Investors, governments, employee groups, and others are demanding information about these issues, but companies and executives still have insufficient guidance on what information to report or how to report it.

The result is a hodgepodge approach to the discussion of non-financial impact, with information being disclosed across various forums and in formats that make comparability a challenge, frustrating many who hope to depend on this information to make decisions. More broadly, tumultuous labor markets and increasing environmental threats make the need for this information increasingly dire, and global regulators have listed the disclosure of non-financial information high on their agendas.

An upcoming issue of Amplify seeks submissions examining the pitfalls and promise of the current non-financial reporting landscape, and offering insights into how this type of reporting will evolve in the near future. It will be Guest Edited by Harvard Business School (HBS) Assistant Professor of Business Administration Ethan Rouen, faculty co-chair of the HBS Impact-Weighted Accounts Project.

Article ideas may include, but are not limited, to the following topics on how businesses can:

• What would a uniform disclosure mandate look like?
• How are current disclosures useful and where can they be improved?
• What is the role of intermediaries like auditors and ratings agencies, and are they currently accomplishing the goals they were intended to accomplish?
• How can corporate executives communicate their non-financial performance to a broad audience?
• How can corporate executives identify and communicate the relation between financial and non-financial performance?

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract(~300 words or less of proposed article scope and author(s) bio) to Ethan Rouen and Christine Generali.  Final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

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Financing Sustainable Circular Investments

Guest Editors: Paul Dewick and Joseph Sarkis
Abstract Deadline: June 30, 2023
Article Deadline: September 15, 2023
Publication date: October 2023

 

The circular economy is a series of practices intended to provide circularity in product and materials usage, for example, by extending the use of products, using fewer resources to provide the same goods and services, and regenerating and restoring eco-systems. These practices are intended to not only contribute economically but environmentally, and toward broad sustainable development goals.

It is expected that investments in circular economy and sustainability initiatives by various investment institutions, organizations, and governments will be in trillions of dollars, with an expected multiplicity of returns. The returns will not only be economic, but socially and environmentally. Investment is meant to achieve ‘win-win-win’ returns across the triple-bottom line of sustainability initiatives.

But investing entities need to be responsible to their stakeholders. The government is responsible to their constituents, investing organizations are responsible to their investors, organizations are responsible to a broad variety of stakeholders including consumers, supply chain partners, and communities — going beyond just stockholders.

There are concerns associated with these circular economy and sustainability investments. For example, government agencies need to determine what mega-projects to invest in, but also they need to make this investment in an equitable and inclusive way. Investment portfolio managers need to determine which organizations are actually circular economy friendly organizations — a difficult proposition given that even the definition of circular economy is a contested and polysemous term. Organizations need to determine whether the hurdle rates and investment models to support their decisions are appropriate for the circular economy and sustainability.

An upcoming issue of Amplify, with Guest Editors Prof. Dr. Paul Dewick and Prof. Dr. Joseph Sarkis, seeks articles exploring how businesses and public organizations can manage investment in circular economy and sustainability challenges — with preference given to circular economy practices.

Article ideas may include, but are not limited, to the following topics on how businesses and public organizations can:

• Monitor and measure investments in circular economy and sustainability, including facilities as well as the entirety of the supply chain, addressing how to overcome data limitations in assessing circular economy performance and risks
• Reduce risk exposure and respond to circular economy and sustainability investments
• Design strategies for circular economy investments and allocations
• Participate in programs and certifications that encourage circular economy investment standards such as ISO and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Consider the interactions and management of multiple levels and types of investments including investment funds, international cooperative projects, and organizational decisions.
• Determine the technological and information systems needs to support circular economy and sustainability investment determination, allocation and dispersion, deployment, and monitoring.
• Provide insights for managers and policymakers on overcoming the many challenges of circular economy and sustainability investments related to ESG.
• Evaluate how circular economy investment priorities differ across countries and regions and their implications to organizations and supply chains.
• Direct finance toward inclusive circular projects in different institutional contexts.
• Optimize investment synergies in circular projects that also mitigate climate change and/or protect biodiversity.

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract (~ 300 words or less of the proposed article scope and author(s) bio), to Paul Dewick, Joseph Sarkis, and Christine Generali. The final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

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Blockchain Technologies & Environmental Sustainability

Guest Editor: Horst Treiblmaier
Abstract Deadline: July 15, 2023
Article Deadline: September 30, 2023
Publication date: November 2023

With the widespread and successful adoption of blockchain technologies in industries such as finance, supply chain management, healthcare, and tourism, there is growing concern for its potential impact on environmental sustainability. This topic is already widely discussed in the public media and previous findings in the literature are often contradictory.

An upcoming issue of Amplify, with Guest Editor Horst Treiblmaier, will provide specific insights on how blockchain technologies can help create more environmentally sustainable solutions. We invite original articles discussing real-world applications of blockchain technologies and their associated implications for sustainability, and particularly applications that have proven to have a positive environmental impact.

Article ideas may include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Blockchain applications for natural resource and sustainable energy management
• Decentralized systems for carbon accounting and emissions reduction
• Blockchain-based traceability and transparency for sustainable supply chains
• Smart contracts for environmental conservation and biodiversity protection
• Examples of blockchain technology for sustainability in global operations
• Blockchain-based incentives and reward systems for sustainable behaviors and practices
• Decentralized waste management systems
• Blockchain-enabled circular economy models for sustainable consumption and production
• Blockchain-based water resource management and conservation applications and initiatives
• Blockchain for sustainable agriculture and food systems
• Blockchain for sustainable urban planning and transportation

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract (~ 300 words or less of the proposed article scope and author(s) bio), to Horst Treiblmaier, and Christine Generali. The final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

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Character Leadership as a Competitive Advantage: Perspectives Around the Globe

Guest Editors: Dusya Vera and Ana Ruiz Pardo
Abstract Deadline: TBD
Article Deadline: TBD
Publication date: December 2023

Historically, the success of a leader was primarily attributed to their competency in their role. But is this attribution accurate or sufficient? Examinations of past high profile leadership failures — such as the 2008 financial crisis, Boeing 737 Max, and the Volkswagen emissions scandal — have revealed that, while competency is a necessary component of leadership, it is clearly inadequate as a sole driver of success. This has resulted in an important shift towards cultivating ‘who’ leaders are, not just what they do — that is, elevating their character alongside their competence in the practice of leadership.

Simply put, character matters. Around the globe there is rising interest in investigating character’s pivotal role in leadership: what it is, how to develop it, and how it affects organizations. Character matters not only at the individual level, but also at the group, organization, and societal level. Notably, character’s role in leadership is not only important for sustained excellence within an individual or an organization, but also has implications for addressing the grand challenges described by the global Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Organizations from around the world have ongoing programs, practices, and strategies dedicated to generating meaningful outcomes on these objectives and are exploring how character plays an impactful role in responding to the SDGs at each (or multiple) levels.

An upcoming issue of Amplify, with Guest Editors Dusya Vera and Ana Ruiz Pardo, will explore the most recent initiatives, approaches, and advancements in answering these key questions centered around character.

Article ideas may include, but are not limited, to the following:

• How does character elevate performance and enable success?
• How does character impact a leader’s response to and management of a crisis?
• What is character and how is it developed?
• What are character’s ‘roots’ (e.g., philosophy, ethics, theology, psychology)?
• What role does character play at the individual, group, organizational, and societal level?
• How can character improve well-being?
• What role does character play in HR practices such as recruitment, selection, and performance management?
• How does character inform, shape, or support an organization’s culture, purpose, and/or values?
• How is character perceived/defined/assessed from the perspective of equity-deserving groups?
• How does character advance the SDGs?
• How does character give an organization a strategic advantage?
• How does character enable employee activism?

FOR CONSIDERATION: Please send an abstract (~ 300 words or less of the proposed article scope and author(s) bio), to Dusya Vera, Ana Ruiz Pardo, and Christine Generali. The final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines.

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Editorial Guidelines

These notes are intended to give authors some guidance and direction for articles submitted to Amplify for publication. Additional Cutter Consortium editorial guidelines can be found here.

Editorial: Amplify is professionally edited by our team who evaluates articles for content, substance, grammar, and style and provides valuable feedback so that authors can revise and improve their papers before publication. Publishing turnaround times are short. Articles are also peer-reviewed by the Guest Editor who is an expert in the field.

Audience: Publishing with Cutter affords the opportunity to present your insights and research to a global audience of corporate executives, top academics, and leaders in the public and NGO/IGO sectors that is highly interested in emerging developments across the spectrum of business and technology. Typical readers of Amplify range from CxOs and other business leaders to technology executives, program leaders, product managers, engineering managers and development executives, along with professors from universities worldwide. Most work in fairly large organizations: Fortune 500 organizations, universities, NGOs/IGOs, and government agencies. Industries span: finance and banking, education, energy, entertainment, food, healthcare, insurance, travel/transportation and manufacturing. 48% of our readership is outside of the US (15% from Canada, 14% Europe, 5% Australia/NZ, 14% elsewhere).

Length: The average article is 2,000-3,500 words, unless otherwise specified by the Group Publisher.

Article Format: Please send your article in word document format for editing purposes. Please do not send it as a PDF.

Editorial advice: Introductory-level, tutorial coverage of a topic is not very popular with our readership as they are senior-level people. Delete the introductory "fluff" and get to the meat of the topic. Assume you're writing for someone who has been in the industry for 10 to 20 years, is very busy, and very impatient. Assume he or she is mentally asking, while reading your article, "What's the point? What do I do with this information?" Apply the "so what?" test to everything you write.

General comments: We enjoy controversy and strong opinion; we like the fact that we can provide an alternative to standard "refereed" journals that sanitize articles. Because we don't carry any advertising, we can publish critical or negative comments about specific vendors or products. However, we obviously don't want to publish anything libelous or slanderous. Conversely, we don't publish self-serving commercial messages praising one's own product or service.

Style, grammar, and mechanics: For advice on good writing style, we recommend Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, The Chicago Manual of Style, and The Elements of Style (Strunk and White). We are fanatics about the editorial quality of Amplify; anything you can do to help us in this regard will be greatly appreciated.

Graphics: Please keep your use of graphics to a minimum and submit original, editable files (not static images). Preferably, create your graphics in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and submit them as a separate editable Office file. If this is not possible, send files as high-res PNG, JPEG, PDF, or Adobe Illustrator CC/EPS. All images owned by another party may only be used with owner's permission. It is the author's responsibility to obtain permission. Copying images off the Internet without permission infringes on copyright and is unacceptable for publication.

All graphics (figures and tables) must include captions and a reference within the text; for example: “(see Figure 1)” or “Figure 1 illustrates….” Please note that we may remove graphics deemed unnecessary. Please be minimalistic in your design: limit colors, shadings, and typefaces. For additional questions, please contact Linda Dias (ldias@cutter.com).

Deadlines: The deadline you agree to when you commit to writing an article is a "hard" deadline; if you're going to be late, let us know and we'll negotiate a mutually agreeable delivery date. If the deadline passes without our having heard from you, we will assume that you have vanished and are unable to provide the article.

Editorial process: Once we get your article, we commence two parallel editorial passes: one for content (by the guest editor) and one for substance, grammar, and style (by a Cutter editor). Either or both of these initial editorial reviews may result in some questions or feedback from us. Most likely, we will send you a first draft "page proof" of your article for your review and approval.

Articles published in the journal must meet certain criteria relating to audience, technical content, and presentation. In the unlikely occurrence that, upon editorial review, your completed article does not meet with these requirements, Cutter Consortium reserves the right to decline the publishing of your article in the journal. Upon final acceptance, the article moves to additional copyediting and proofing stages, including layout. You will receive a PDF in layout form for final approval. We ask that this review take no more than 2-3 days.

Biographical sketch: At the end of each Amplify article, we like to include a brief (200 words or less) biographical sketch of each author along with email address of author(s). Click here for a sample. We also like to provide a color headshot. Please include a high-res color headshot (at least 300x300 pixels) of each author. We accept formal or casual photos that present authors in a professional manner. For samples, see our "Meet the Cutter Experts" section.

Copyrights: When you submit an article to us, you transfer copyright to Arthur D. Little and you warrant that you (or your employer) are the sole owner of the article, that it has not been previously published elsewhere, and that you have full power and authority to grant copyright to Arthur D. Little. You also warrant that it does not infringe on any copyright, violate any property rights, or contain scandalous, libelous, or unlawful matter.

Sourcing Content: When you do draw on the work of other authors and researchers, cite your sources accordingly in the relevant part of the text (using endnote numbers or hyperlinks). Given that Cutter Consortium has no relationships with vendors, we cannot permit the use of references, quotes, statistics, and figures from analyst/research firms with vendor ties (Gartner, MetaGroup, Yankee Group, Forrester, IDC, McKinsey, among others), as the data may be biased. If you feel information from one of these sources is critical to your article, please bring it to our attention early in the editorial process and we will be happy to discuss the issue. Note that Cutter Consortium conducts studies and surveys occasionally in its various practice areas. This data is available for use in your articles or reports. If there is specific data you are looking for to support an argument, please contact us for more information. We will be happy to send you any relevant data. Keep in mind that if your article uses too many sources, it is often an indicator that your piece summarizes research too heavily and lacks original thought. Remember our readers are interested in your insights; above all, speak in an expert voice.

Promotion: Once the issue is published, we will provide you with a PDF of your individual article to share with your colleagues or to post on your website, social networks, academic research bases, etc. We will also provide you with a link to the entire issue to share with your contacts, post on your website, blog, social networks, etc. We ask that once the issue is published, that you do not post the entire issue PDF on any websites or social media sites unless given express permission.

Author Compensation: We are pleased to offer Amplify authors a complimentary online subscription to Amplify upon signing Cutter's license agreement. In addition, we occasionally pull excerpts, along with the author's bio, to include in weekly email Advisors to clients and in our bi-monthly Cutter Edge email newsletter, which reaches another 8,000 readers, and we publish excerpts on the Cutter LinkedIn and Twitter feeds. If you plan to be speaking at industry conferences, we can arrange to make electronic copies of the issue in which you're published available for attendees of those speaking engagements — furthering your own promotional efforts.

Endnotes/References: When you draw on the work of other authors and researchers, please cite your sources. All sources/side commentary must be noted in relevant part of text (using endnote numbers) and listed in sequential order (i.e., order of appearance, not alphabetical order) at end of article in "References." All sources should include basic publishing information (i.e., author(s) name(s), complete title, publisher, date, and hyperlink and/or URL). Sources can be repeated but must be listed as a new endnote. The following are examples of various types of endnotes:

¹DeMarco, Tom, and Timothy Lister. Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects. Dorset House, 2003.

²In this survey, “innovation” refers to any new initiatives to introduce innovative, leading-edge, or unconventional software project development methods, processes, tools, or techniques.

³Hall, Curt. “AI & Machine Learning in the Enterprise, Part XI: Success of AI Application Development Efforts.” Cutter Consortium Data Analytics & Digital Technologies, Executive Update, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2019.

⁴DeMarco and Lister (see 1).

⁵"About the Sustainability Practice." Cutter Consortium, accessed January 2021 .

 

Editorial Calendar 2023

Publishing Month	Topic	Guest Editor
January	Disruption in Banking & Financial Services	Philippe De Backer
February	Advancing Workplace Equity	Viola Maxwell-Thompson
March	Biodiversity & Business	Judith Walls, Kerrigan Unter, and Leo Vogel
April	Digital Twins in Practice	Ron Zahavi
May	Ensuring Resilience in the Airline Industry	Sabine Reim & Jim Miller
June	Navigating Geopolitical Risks	David S. Lee
July	Generative AI: A Conversation with the Future	Michael Eiden
August	ESG Reporting Trends	Ethan Rouen
September	Energy	Michael Kruse
October	Financing Sustainable Circular Investments	Joe Sarkis and Paul DeWick
November	Blockchain Technologies and Environmental Sustainability	Horst Treiblmaier
December	Character Leadership as a Competitive Advantage	Duysa Vera and Ana Ruiz Pardo

Editorial Calendar 2022

Publishing Month	Topic	Guest Editor
January 2022	Cyber Resilience & Countermeasures	Dr. Anjali Kaushik
February 2022	Reimagining Leadership & Teams	Tim Lister
March 2022	Data's Critical Role in Healthcare & Life Sciences	Ben van der Schaaf
April/May 2022	Defining Systems Change in Sustainable Business Parts I and II	Dr. Andrew Hoffman and Dr. Nicholas Poggioli
June 2022	Leadership Skills for the Post-Pandemic Era	Jon Ward
July 2022	Connecting the Dots with Knowledge Graphs	Michael Eiden
August 2022	Trends in the Automotive & Mobility Industries	Klaus Schmitz
September 2022	High Risk, High Stakes Decision Making in Turbulent Times	Michael Roberto
October 2022	DAOs and Token-Driven Organizations: Promises vs. Reality	Michel Avital and Nina-Birte Schirrmacher
November 2022	The Role of the Enterprise in a Nature Positive World, Part I	Margaret O'Gorman
December 2022	The Role of the Enterprise in a Nature Positive World, Part II	Margaret O'Gorman