2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Scandinavian Journal of Management (SJM). This anniversary editorial engages in a reflection on and discussion of some of the distinctive ways that the journal has contributed to a wider academic landscape of management insight. Marking an anniversary of considerable duration prompts us to revisit SJM’s production and its self-proclaimed ethos before letting this anniversary issue delve into present and future challenges and opportunities within our field. Through a retrospective analysis of selected articles and editorials since the journal’s inception we aim to identify key characteristics and phenomena that have garnered attention and traction within the journal.