Conflict of Interest Policy

The Journal of International Business, Economics and Entrepreneurship (JIBE) is committed to maintaining transparency, integrity and editorial independence in the publication process. This Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy applies to all authors, editors and reviewers and follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when secondary interests may influence professional judgment regarding the integrity, validity or interpretation of research.

These include:

  • Financial interests: funding, employment, consultancy, honoraria, grants, shareholding or paid advisory roles
  • Non-financial interests: personal relationships, academic rivalry, intellectual or ideological beliefs, or institutional affiliations

Conflicts include both actual and potential conflicts, as well as those that may reasonably be perceived by others.

All conflicts of interest within the past 36 months or ongoing relationships must be disclosed.

2. Scope and Mandatory Disclosure Requirement

All individuals involved in the publication process must disclose relevant conflicts of interest:

  • Authors at the time of manuscript submission
  • Editors upon assignment of manuscripts
  • Reviewers before accepting review invitations

COI disclosure is a mandatory structured field in the journal’s OJS submission system, and submission cannot proceed unless this field is completed.

COI declarations do not influence editorial assessment, peer review decisions, or publication outcomes.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in actions described in Section 9.

3. Author Responsibilities

Authors must provide full disclosure of all relevant conflicts of interest at submission in both the OJS system and the manuscript file.

Disclosures must include:

  • All sources of financial support for the research
  • The role of funding bodies in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication
  • Any personal, professional, or institutional relationships that may influence the research

Authors must include a COI statement in the manuscript, such as:

  • “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
    or
  • A detailed disclosure of relevant conflicts

All declared COIs will be published with the final article.

4. Editorial Responsibilities

Editorial decisions are made independently of disclosed conflicts and are not influenced by author, reviewer, or institutional relationships.

Editors are responsible for ensuring fair, impartial, and independent editorial decisions.

Where a conflict of interest exists:

  • The editor must immediately declare the conflict
  • The manuscript must be reassigned to another independent editor
  • The conflicted editor must not participate in any stage of editorial decision-making

For manuscripts involving the Editor-in-Chief, editorial responsibility will be delegated by the Publisher to an independent senior editor or qualified editorial board member. Replacement editors are appointed by the Publisher to ensure full editorial independence, and final assignment authority rests with the Publisher.

5. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers must:

  • Declare any potential conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment
  • Decline review if any conflict may affect objectivity or confidentiality
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of all manuscript materials

If a conflict is identified after acceptance of a review assignment, the reviewer must immediately inform the editorial office and withdraw if necessary.

Undisclosed conflicts may result in removal from the reviewer database and suspension of reviewing privileges.

6. Disclosure and Publication Practices

To ensure transparency and traceability:

  • COI disclosures must be completed in the OJS submission system and repeated in the manuscript file
  • All published articles will include a COI disclosure statement
  • Any changes in COI status during review or revision must be immediately reported to the editorial office

7. Management of Conflicts of Interest

When a conflict of interest is identified, the journal will take appropriate action on a case-by-case basis, including:

  • Reassignment of editors or reviewers
  • Appointment of additional independent reviewers
  • Increased editorial oversight of the manuscript
  • Full disclosure of conflicts in the published article

All decisions are guided by fairness, transparency and protection of editorial independence.

8. Investigation of Undisclosed Conflicts

Allegations of undisclosed conflicts of interest will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Possible actions include:

  • Requesting clarification from authors, editors, or reviewers
  • Issuing corrections or formal notices
  • Retraction of published articles where necessary
  • Notification of relevant institutions or funding bodies

9. Sanctions for Breach of Policy

Confirmed breaches of this policy may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Rejection of manuscript submission
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Publication of correction or disclosure statements
  • Temporary or permanent submission bans
  • Removal from editorial or reviewer roles
  • Notification of affiliated institutions or funding bodies

Sanctions are applied proportionately based on severity, intent, and impact on publication integrity, following COPE recommendations.

Policy Integration

This statement forms part of the journal's publication ethics framework and should be read together with the following policies:

  • Copyright and License Policy
  • Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
  • Peer Review Policy
  • Plagiarism Policy
  • Retraction, Correction and Withdrawal Policy
  • Use of Generative AI Policy

 

Policy Version: 2.0
Last Updated: 2026