Conflict of Interest and Competing Interest

The Journal of Emerging Business Management and Entrepreneurship Studies (JEBMES) is committed to transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the publication process. A conflict of interest, also known as a competing interest, exists when financial or non-financial interests could influence—or could reasonably be perceived to influence—the conduct, reporting, review, or editorial evaluation of a manuscript.

The existence of a competing interest does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing. However, relevant interests must be disclosed so that editors, reviewers, and readers can assess any potential influence.

Authors

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interests related to their manuscript. Disclosures should include interests that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the research, its findings, or their interpretation.

Competing interests may include:

• Financial interests, such as funding, fees, honoraria, salary, consultancy, share ownership, or patents related to the manuscript.
• Professional or institutional interests, such as employment, collaboration, or organizational relationships relevant to the work.
• Personal interests, such as family or close personal relationships that could affect the work or its evaluation.
• Academic or intellectual interests, such as supervisory relationships, academic competition, or relevant intellectual property.

The corresponding author is responsible for submitting a competing interest statement on behalf of all authors. If no competing interests exist, the manuscript should include the statement: “The authors declare no competing interests.”

Competing interest and funding statements serve different purposes. Authors should disclose any funding separately, in accordance with the journal’s submission requirements.

Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interest that could affect, or be perceived to affect, their assessment of a manuscript. Relevant interests may include current or recent collaboration with an author, professional or institutional relationships, academic competition, or personal or financial connections.

Reviewers should decline an invitation or inform the editor if a competing interest could compromise their impartiality. They must keep manuscript information confidential and must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or third-party benefit. Any competing interests disclosed by reviewers will be handled in accordance with the journal’s review procedures.

Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and editorial board members must disclose any competing interest related to a manuscript they are handling. An editor with a competing interest must not participate in the assessment, peer review, or decision-making for that manuscript. The manuscript should be assigned to another editor without the relevant conflict.

Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript’s academic quality, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, ethical standards, and peer-review outcomes. Decisions must not be influenced by personal relationships, institutional interests, commercial considerations, or other competing interests.

JEBMES may request further information or clarification when a disclosure is unclear or incomplete. The journal will handle disclosures confidentially as appropriate and take steps to protect the fairness and integrity of the publication process.

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members, and is implemented in accordance with JEBMES’s publication ethics principles.