Editorial How the Covid-19 pandemic has affected, and will affect, operations and supply chain management research and practice

Abstract

Purpose – This article considers how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted research and practice in operations and supply chain management (OSCM). It also introduces the papers selected for the EurOMA 2020 conference special issue. Design/methodology/approach – We review salient events occurred over the last year to identify emergent trends and novel research questions in OSCM. Findings – We find that the pandemic has had three main types of implications, as it has (1) reinforced the importance of existing topics such as collaboration in supply chains; (2) accelerated the adoption of certain practices in various areas including new product development and digital transformation; (3) questioned some approaches, such as the implementation of lean in times of volatility and uncertainty, and giving the opportunity to investigate further ones in relation to complex supply chains, strategy implementation and people management. Originality/value – The article identifies significant changes in practice and puts forward a research agenda for OSCM research. Paper type - Research paper.