Supply chain management: a structured literature review and implications for future research

Purpose - The field of supply chain management (SCM) has historically been informed by knowledge from narrow functional areas. While some effort towards producing a broader organizational perspective has been made, nonetheless, SCM continues to be largely eclectic with little consensus on its concep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of operations & production management 2006-07, Vol.26 (7), p.703-729
Main Authors: Burgess, Kevin, Singh, Prakash J., Koroglu, Rana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Classification
Knowledge
Literature
Literature reviews
Philosophy
Research methodology
Strategic management
Studies
Supply chain management
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Summary:Purpose - The field of supply chain management (SCM) has historically been informed by knowledge from narrow functional areas. While some effort towards producing a broader organizational perspective has been made, nonetheless, SCM continues to be largely eclectic with little consensus on its conceptualization and research methodological bases. This paper seeks to clarify aspects of this emerging perspective.Design methodology approach - A total of 100 randomly selected refereed journal articles were systematically analyzed.Findings - A number of key findings emerged: the field is a relatively "new" one; several disciplines claim ownership of the field; consensus is lacking on the definition of the term; contextual focus is mostly on the manufacturing industry; predominantly "process" conceptual framing prevails; research methods employed are mostly analytical conceptual, empirical surveys or case studies; the positivist research paradigmatic stance is prevalent; and theories related to transaction cost economics and competitive advantage dominate.Originality value - This review identifies various conceptual and research methodological characteristics of SCM. From a philosophy of knowledge perspective, it is suggested that SCM be framed as a Lakatosian Research Program, for this has the best potential to assist in the development of SCM body of knowledge in a sustainable way into the future.
ISSN:0144-3577
1758-6593
DOI:10.1108/01443570610672202