Phygital Business Review | American Phygital Association

Phygital Business Review (PBR)

About PBR

Pioneering the Phygital Paradigm in a New Era of Research and Practice

The Phygital Business Review (PBR), a publication of the American Phygital Association, offers business insights grounded in science for contemporary organizations pursuing a human-centric phygital transformation. PBR’s focus is on the seamless integration of physical and digital realms to foster sustainable growth and enhance innovation, while challenging conventional business practices. ‘Phygital’ is a holistic ecosystem that blends the physical and digital whorls. This concept places emphasis on corporate strategy, innovation, the interaction between humans and technology, and the social impact thereof. Committed to ecology, PBR adopts an online publishing model. While access to PBR’s issues is limited to paid subscribers, PBR provides open access to ‘PBR Insights.’ These are freely available on PBR’s website and are utilized in a variety of business and educational contexts worldwide. A curated selection of the best articles from PBR will be published annually in an edited business book. The print version is produced by a renowned business book publisher based in New York and distributed worldwide.

PBR Mission and Purpose

PBR’s mission is to ignite inspiration, provide valuable science-driven insights, and empower scholars, business leaders, and companies on the journey towards a successful ‘phygital’ transformation. This transformation must harmoniously merge the physical and digital realms, placing a human-centric philosophy at its core, rather than a purely technology-driven one. PBR firmly believes that the cornerstone of a successful implementation and integration of technology is the human element, not merely the technology itself.

PBR is committed to sharing innovative ideas that challenge conventional business practices, stimulate thought among scholars and business leaders, enrich the learning experience for students, and contribute significantly to the reshaping of business models in the evolving phygital landscape.

The primary objective of PBR is to provide a platform for research and practice in the phygital realm, encompassing both pioneering research and groundbreaking ideas. PBR’s aim is to address specific business challenges and issues pertinent to the phygital era. PBR embodies a business-oriented and scientifically rooted publishing philosophy, bridging the divide in phygital sciences and business practices between academia and industry professionals. PBR is dedicated to publishing problem-centric papers on phygital topics that are not only of interest to practitioners but are also easily comprehensible and applicable to them.

PBR is committed to contributing to business strategies, policy-making, and education by collating and presenting collective wisdom on phygital topics. PBR also strives to bring the latest scientific insights relevant to specific applied phygital business topics to the academic and industry community. To achieve these goals, the journal is organized into topic-based issues, each containing various sections overseen by domain-expert guest editors under the guidance of the PBR editor-in-chief.

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PBR Aim & Scope

PBR aims to be a leading platform for phygital-oriented scientific and business knowledge, fostering interdisciplinary understanding of phygital phenomena. PBR supports the global phygital community within the American Phygital Association through summits, events, and collective efforts. PBR also strives to translate phygital scholarship to a broad audience through various mediums. Authors are encouraged to adopt a problem-oriented approach, prioritize case studies and hybrid methodologies that form part of the ‘phygital research paradigm,’ use clear language, and welcome case studies, commentaries, and ‘big idea’ sections from practitioners or domain experts outside the business sphere.

Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Wided Batat

Founder of the Phygital Ecosystem and the Phygital Research Paradigm

Author of the bestselling book: "Phygital: The Four Transformative Phases of Marketing"

Editorial Team

John Anderson, Senior Editor

Michael Thompson, Managing Editor

James Johnson, Online Editor

Robert Miller, Publication Coordinator

William Davis, Editorial Contractor

Joseph Martinez, Editorial Assistant

Charles Wilson, Copy Editor

Thomas Moore, Content Strategist

Emily Smith, Social Media Manager

Shaping the Future of Phygital

The Editor-in-Chief will work closely with guest editors to actively promote the journal and its issues. We encourage guest editors to organize conferences or APA events (e.g., roundtables, workshops, special sessions at APA meetings) that are centered around these issues. These events aim to facilitate intellectual exchanges among practitioners, policymakers, and scholars interested in the topic of phygital. They also serve to promote the themed issue to both academic and non-academic audiences, with the goal of informing and influencing practice.

Ultimately, PBR aims to be a respected and useful platform for the scholarly work and innovative ideas of both APA researchers and professionals. The focus on phygital thematic issues, coupled with practical and actionable solutions, sets PBR apart from other leading business journals. It is the only science-driven journal offering business-ready solutions for positive change that is entirely focused on the field of phygital. Each issue presents a collection of insights from high-profile industry leaders and expert scholars, offering their best thinking on the critical phygital-oriented challenges of the hybrid world.

Submission Requirements

Authors from various backgrounds, including academics, industry professionals, and non-academics, are invited to submit their research and insights. We offer two distinct categories for submission: Phygital Business Review Guest Editorial and PBR Insights.

Phygital Business Review Guest Editorial. We welcome guest editors to contribute thematic editorials on the concept of phygital. PBR special issues aim to serve as a comprehensive repository of evidence-based phygital research, designed to inspire, inform, and empower business leaders in the phygital era. PBR is committed to publishing special issues that disseminate innovative ideas, engage scholars, assist businesses in embracing a human-centric phygital transformation, and contribute to positive impact through innovation.

Who is eligible to submit? We welcome submissions from current faculty members who are passionate about transforming business and research by advocating for a human-centric phygital transformation for positive impact, advanced theory, and enhanced business practices. We encourage submissions that significantly contribute to the current body of phygital scholarship. A guest editorial proposal should include the following elements:

The title of the special issue
Full names, positions, affiliations, country, and emails of chairs and co-chairs
A concise 150-word bios
A comprehensive 700-word abstract that outlines the purpose and novelty, contribution to phygital science, societal and industrial impact, theoretical advancements, and expected practical implications
A list of 5-10 contributors, including their names, affiliations, positions, and the working titles of their articles

Please note that only the chair of the special issue should submit a unified proposal on behalf of all contributing authors. All submissions should be made online. Authors can expect to receive notifications within 2-4 weeks, and the guest editorial issue should be completed and published online within 3-6 months. This timeline allows authors to cite their work and apply for positions and tenure, recognizing the critical role of publication in career advancement.

All articles published in PBR guest editorials are accessible through a paid subscription to PBR. Additionally, authors of the best articles published in the special issue will be invited to write a 'Frontier' piece for our PBR Insights, showcasing the most cutting-edge, science-driven, and ready-to-implement phygital ideas.

PBR Insights is an open access platform that publishes ‘Big Idea’ pieces, which are innovative insights that challenge conventional wisdom. In addition, a selection of the best scientific articles on phygital from PBR Guest Editorials will be republished and made freely accessible online as ‘Frontier’ pieces.

Similar to the articles in Phygital Business Review Guest Editorials, PBR Insights provides guidance for better business practices in the phygital age, with a focus on both scientific rigor and practical application. PBR Insights offers a quick snapshot of phygital topics and emerging trends in phygital marketing, strategy, and management for authors, researchers, and practitioners. The platform emphasizes timeless relevance, breadth, and practitioner relevance, serving as a complement to the Phygital Business Review, which focuses on peer-reviewed research.

Who is eligible to submit? We welcome submissions from faculty, entrepreneurs, executives, MBA and PhD candidates, and motivated authors who are interested in reimagining business and management practices in the phygital age. Both ‘Frontier’ and ‘Big Idea’ pieces should adhere to the following guidelines, otherwise, the submission will be returned to the authors unprocessed. Here is the checklist to follow before submission:

Provide a succinct sentence to further describe your idea, which will serve as a tagline to promote your piece.
Ensure all submissions are checked for language and grammar by a professional copyeditor prior to submission. PBR adheres to American English standards. If accepted for posting, your piece will be formatted according to internal guidelines.
Your submission should aim to further explore phygital topics published in the peer-reviewed Phygital Business Review. We encourage you to identify any PBR article related to your submission.
Only one contribution per form should be submitted.
Submissions should be uploaded in one file.

All tables, charts, and figures must be embedded into the document.
Contributions should have no more than 15 endnote citations.
All hyperlinks in the contribution should be accessible.
Contributions should adhere to the word limits for the selected type as:
- Big Idea – opinion piece (700-1500 words, excluding citations)
- Frontier - science-driven piece (up to 2500 words, excluding citations)
The title page should include the following items for all authors: Full names, organizational affiliations, positions, country, emails, bios of 150 words.

Online Submission Form

Phygital Business Review Guest Editorial

Phygital Business Review invites guest editorials on phygital concepts. We seek innovative, evidence-based research from faculty passionate about human-centric phygital transformation. Contribute to our special issues and impact scholarship and business practices positively.

Submit Here

PBR Insights

PBR Insights, an open access platform, publishes ‘Big Idea’ and ‘Frontier’ pieces on phygital topics. We invite submissions from faculty, entrepreneurs, executives, and students. Contribute and reimagine the future of business in the phygital age.

Submit Here

Ongoing PBR Guest Editorial Issues

PBR is published in four thematic guest editorial issues: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Each issue, focused on a specific phygital theme, comprises 5 to 10 articles that span a broad spectrum of subjects. The collection includes research papers, case studies, and commentaries. A guest editor, an expert and distinguished scholar, curates and edits the content. These issues are also co-edited with top phygital experts, ensuring the content is academically rigorous and business-driven.