Research opportunities on manufacturing flexibility domain: A review and theory-based research agenda

• Published in: Journal of manufacturing systems 2018-07, Vol.48, p.9-20
• Main Authors: Pérez-Pérez, Marta, Serrano Bedia, Ana-M., López-Fernández, María-Concepción, García-Piqueres, Gema
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bibliometrics; Flexibility; Manufacturing; Review; Theory-based agenda
• ISSN: 0278-6125; 1878-6642
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmsy.2018.05.009

•We provide a broad map of the main investigated research issues in manufacturing flexibility.•We apply co-words analysis and critical reflection to interpret the intellectual structure of the reseach.•We offer an integrative framework of manufacturing flexibility and identify research gaps.•We propose a theory-based research agenda for the development of future investigations within the field. This work proposes a systematic literature review on manufacturing flexibility that provides a broad map of the main investigated research issues in manufacturing flexibility and future research opportunities on the topic. A sample of 284 academic articles published in peer-reviewed international journals up to 2017 constitutes the knowledge base of the study. This sample is analysed through the combination of two complementary methods: 1) a co-words bibliometric technique to identify the thematic sub-fields as well as their relative standing and 2) a critical reflection based upon an in-depth reading of each of the articles that compose the subfields previously identified with the purpose of interpreting the intellectual structure of the research. This information makes it possible to identify trends and deficiencies in this context, providing well-structured information helping to centralise the efforts required for future work. Based on information from the literature, this paper proposes a theory-based research agenda that summarises different axes of development for future investigations within the field.