Guidelines for Authors

The Sankalpa: International Journal of Management Decisions is a bi-annual, peer-reviewed scholarly journal. It publishes original research articles, analytical perspectives, and book reviews covering functional areas of management, business, economics, commerce, trade, industry, the contemporary business environment, and allied disciplines. Special emphasis is placed on emerging economies, evolving markets, and innovative ideas that contribute to informed managerial decision-making.

  1. Manuscript Length and Originality
    Manuscripts should normally be between 6,000 and 8,000 words and must not exceed 10,000 words under any circumstances. Submissions must represent original, unpublished work and should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts must be submitted electronically along with a separate cover page containing only the title of the paper and the author(s’) names, designations, institutional affiliations, official addresses, email IDs, and contact numbers.

  2. Formatting and Style Specifications
    i. Font: Entire manuscript must be typed in Times New Roman.
    ii. Article Title: Centered, bold, font size 13; the title should not exceed 15 words.
    iii. Author(s’) Name(s): Centered, normal, font size 12.
    iv. Author(s’) Affiliation(s) and Email: Centered, normal, font size 11.
    v. Abstract: The heading “Abstract” should be in bold, font size 12. The abstract text should not exceed 250 words, written in italics with font size 10.
    vi. Keywords: Three to five keywords, in bold italics, font size 10.
    vii. Level-1 Headings: Centered, bold, font size 12.
    viii. Level-2 Headings (Sub-headings): Aligned to the margin, bold, font size 11, using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.
    ix. Level-3 Headings (Sub-sub-headings): Indented by five spaces from the margin, bold, font size 11, with only the first letter capitalized.
    x. Body Text: Normal, font size 11.
    xi. Tables and Figures: Tables and figures must be placed within the text, with headings in bold, font size 11. The heading should appear above the table or figure, and sources must be clearly indicated. Figures and diagrams should be in black and white or clearly distinguishable grayscale.
    xii. Footnotes: Footnotes should be minimal, written in italics, font size 10, and placed serially at the end of the manuscript before the references.

  3. Acknowledgements
    Acknowledgements and information regarding research grants or funding may be provided at the end of the manuscript, before the references.

  4. Use of Numerals
    Numbers from one to twelve should be spelled out in words; numbers above twelve should be written in figures, except when indicating percentages (e.g., 5%), distances (e.g., 5 km), or age (e.g., 10 years old). Decades and centuries should be written as “1980s” and “19th century.”

  5. References and Citation Style
    Only works cited in the text should be included in the reference list. References must include the surname of the author(s) and year of publication and should be complete in all respects. The journal follows the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style.
    In-text examples: (Patel, 2015), (Murthy, 2013), (Kumar et al., 2004).

    Examples:
    – Whole e-Book: Author, A. (Year). Title of the book. Retrieved from URL
    – Chapter in an e-Book: Author, A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. xx–xx). Retrieved from URL
    – Journal Article: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. xx–xx.
    – Online Journal Article: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. xx–xx. Retrieved from URL
    – Web Page / Social Network: Author, A. (Year, Month Day). Title [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from URL

  6. Punctuation and Capitalization
    Full stops should not be used after abbreviations such as UK or MBA but should be used after initials (e.g., U.K., Monte). Capitalization should be minimal and applied consistently throughout the manuscript.

  7. Quotations
    Double quotation marks should be used throughout. Single quotation marks may be used only within double quotations. Quotations exceeding 45 words should be presented as block quotes, separated from the main text with spacing above and below and indented from the left margin. All quotations must be accurately cited with page numbers.

  8. Footnotes and Endnotes
    Footnotes should be used sparingly and placed serially at the end of the manuscript, before the reference section.

  9. Review and Editorial Process
    Each manuscript is initially screened by the Editor and subsequently forwarded for blind peer review. Authors will receive acknowledgment of receipt of their manuscript via email.

  10. Decision on Manuscripts
    Manuscripts not considered suitable for publication will not be returned; however, authors will be informed of the editorial decision via email.

  11. Correspondence
    All manuscripts and related correspondence should be addressed to:
    The Editor
    The Sankalpa: International Journal of Management Decisions
    Department of Business Administration, Utkal University
    Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar – 751004, India

  12. ORCID iD
    Authors are encouraged to provide their ORCID iD for proper author identification and enhanced research visibility.

  13. Copyright and Declaration
    Authors must submit a duly signed copyright form within the stipulated time as communicated by the Editor prior to publication. Submission of a manuscript implies that the work is original, not plagiarized, has not been published elsewhere, and that all sources have been appropriately cited. A formal declaration to this effect is required at the time of submission.

Manuscripts that do not conform to these guidelines are liable to rejection. Reviewers’ comments will be forwarded to authors when revision is recommended.