A systematic review of halal supply chain research: to where shall we go?

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore existing study trends in the halal supply chain (HSC) field as an extension of supply chain studies. Upon examining multiple journal ranks and citation profiles, these trends cover research themes, methodologies, settings (country and data analysis level) and their interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe study followed a systematic, mixed-method review to pinpoint the HSC research themes. The Publish or Perish software, with specific criteria, was used to retrieve and filter 87 HSC articles from 2009 to 2019 from the Google Scholar database. Then, an input–process–output framework was used to classify and discuss potential future research.FindingsThis study concludes that HSC research is still in early development. Five themes consisting of 24 different topics were found: the engagement process, quality control assurance, critical success factors, the production and distribution process and HSC operations support. Most of the HSC studies followed conceptual and qualitative interview methods, with special reference to Muslim-majority countries and organization-level analysis. Within one decade, the number of HSC publications grew significantly, though their presentation is mainly in unindexed journals and their citation rate is low. This study thus proposes three main future HSC research points: HSC consequences, processes and antecedents.Practical implicationsPossible practical implications can be expected from the authors’ proposed empirical studies as guidelines to formulate and promote HSC implementation.Originality/valueNo comprehensive HSC research review exists in the literature. This study intends to fill this void by charting cumulative knowledge and proposing a roadmap for future research endeavors.