Supply Chain Management Discipline Research Articles

Experiments in supply chain management research: A systematic review and future directions

AbstractThe supply chain management discipline has seen a tremendous growth in the use of experimental methods. Given the large number of published studies, the time seems opportune to systematically review the use of such approaches. In this note, we consider multiple dimensions of experimental design used in articles published in six of our premier journals. We present these findings and contemplate opportunities for future applications of experimental methods. In particular, we highlight a need to more regularly conduct and report on the results of power analyses and experimental checks, more carefully contemplate the justification and use of WEIRD (Western, educated, industrial, rich, and democratic) participants, develop and test mediated theoretical models, and increase our focus on teams as the unit of analysis when using experimental methods.

Theory as an engine: Illuminating “white space” of the SCM system of knowledge production

In this Notes & Debates essay, we contribute to debates about the discipline of supply chain management's (SCM) system of knowledge production. We do so by exploring the range of ways that the appropriate use of theory can be understood. We highlight that a preponderance of research assumes the role of theory as a camera: a means of attaining the clearest image of the world as it is, achieved through empiricism and/or modeling. We also illuminate the possibility, stemming from a performative view of science, to mobilize theory as an engine for transforming the world. By examining the range of possibilities for researchers using theory as an engine, and by documenting the scarcity of SCM literature that has pursued one of the multiple possible agendas, we illuminate “white space” of SCM research important for the further development of the discipline.

Advancing OSCM scientific knowledge by replicating empirical findings: Step‐by‐step procedure and illustration for transformative replication endeavors

AbstractReplication endeavors contribute to the accumulation of scientific evidence about previously reported findings and are crucial for scientific progress. Replication studies are, however, often discouraged and rarely published in the operations and supply chain management (OSCM) discipline. In this article, we offer a framework for replications consisting of two complementary tables. This framework recognizes two types of replications already defined in the literature (i.e., The Exact (EXT) Replication and the Methods‐Only (MTD) Replication) and adds to these two new types (i.e., the Bounded‐Conceptual‐Extension (BCE) Replication and the Transformative (TRF) Replication). The framework clarifies what constitutes replications, forms of replication endeavors, and their purposes. Importantly, we also differentiate replication endeavors from reproducibility tests, robustness checks, and post hoc analyses. Moreover, we describe a seven‐step procedure to guide the design, execution, and presentation of replication endeavors, illustrating these steps by conducting a TRF Replication that incorporates, at the same time, a BCE Replication and an MTD Replication of Polyviou et al. (2018). The proposed framework and seven‐step procedure hopefully motivate OSCM scholars to embrace replications as valuable scientific endeavors that can yield corroborating evidence to bolster confidence in previously reported findings and, better yet, provide new nuanced findings to advance precise scientific understanding of past and new OSCM phenomena.

Customs intelligence and risk management in sustainable supply chain for general customs department logistics

In this descriptive analytical study conducted within the Jordanian Customs Department, the influence of Customs Intelligence and Risk Management on Sustainable Supply Chain practices and their subsequent effects on Customs Department Logistics were investigated. Data collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to department employees were analyzed using Smart PLS-4. The findings revealed that Customs Intelligence significantly shapes Sustainable Supply Chain practices, emphasizing the importance of data driven decision-making in achieving sustainability goals. Effective Risk Management strategies were found to positively contribute to Sustainable Supply Chain initiatives, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between risk mitigation and sustainability. Sustainable Supply Chain practices, in turn, were demonstrated to enhance the efficiency of Customs Department Logistics. Furthermore, the study unveiled that Sustainable Supply Chain acts as a mediator, enhancing the impact of both Risk Management and Customs Intelligence on Logistics outcomes. These findings collectively underscore the intricate dynamics of these factors in the context of the Jordanian Customs Department, providing valuable insights for optimizing logistics operations, ensuring compliance, and fostering sustainability. This paper contributes valuable insights and empirical evidence to the fields of customs-related logistics, risk management, sustainable supply chain management, and logistics operations within the Jordanian Customs Department. The paper provides recommendations that have the potential to inform and improve logistics practices, benefiting stakeholders in both the public and private sectors and advancing the understanding of these critical dynamics in the broader logistics and supply chain management discipline.

Retail & wholesale inventories: A literature review and path forward

AbstractEfficient management of inventories is essential for both retailers and wholesalers. Two disciplines which have extensively studied retail and wholesale (R&W) inventories are supply chain management (SCM) and economics. Each discipline is affected by R&W inventories but has taken different approaches to investigating these inventories, presenting an opportunity for learning between disciplines. In this manuscript, we aim to advance the study of R&W inventories in the SCM discipline. We accomplish this goal by reviewing and synthesizing SCM and economics research set in the R&W sectors that studies inventories or inventory performance as the outcome of interest. To synthesize the literature and develop research suggestions, we develop a framework along which to classify the existing literature to identify gaps and opportunities, grouping the literature based on (1) the level at which inventory is studied (sector/industry level, firm level, or SKU/product/category level) and (2) the type of predictors that are studied (internal or external). Based on the literature review, we identify opportunities for future research to enhance our understanding of R&W inventories, with research falling within four topics: (1) resolving inconsistencies across studies; (2) expanding the study of R&W inventories within the developed framework; (3) cross‐level theorizing; and (4) theorizing across time.

‘To fund’ as a new purpose of supply chain management: Making a case for supply chain financing

The purpose of supply chain management has traditionally been to source, make, and deliver. Extant supply chain financing research has been primarily focused on the operational questions of how tools and instruments can be used more effectively. In this Notes and Debates paper, we argue that a new overarching purpose has emerged for the management of supply chains, which is to fund the organization. That happens through utilizing the cash flow between buyers and suppliers and other financial support. The emphasis is on optimizing that cash flow and securing liquidity as opposed to gaining short-term profitability. With such emphasis, firms will focus on utilizing their supply chains to not only manage raw materials, products, and components but also to fund activities relating to working capital (inventories, accounts receivable, and accounts payable). The critical part of this view is how the firm can simultaneously utilize and financially support the supply chain, including suppliers and customers, and vice versa. This shift from an operational to a strategic lens is profound because it provides a clear vision for the role of the supply chain management discipline as it interacts with the financial aspects of the organization.

Theorising circular economy and sustainable operations and supply chain management: a sustainability-dominant logic

PurposeThis paper introduces initial foundations of a sustainability-dominant logic theory intersecting the sustainable operations and supply chain management (SOSCM) discipline with the circular economy (CE) field of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies propositional forms of theorising to derive the formulation of propositions and interconnections that interrelate SOSCM and CE principles, concepts and practices which provide a reinforcing theoretical basis underlying the proposed sustainability-dominant logic theory.FindingsKey findings are represented by elaborated theoretical propositions for a sustainability-dominant logic linking SOSCM and CE principles, concepts and well-established practical assumptions. The initial set of propositions offers useful insights for a sustainability-dominant logic at three managerial levels: product, firm and supply chain level.Originality/valueThe paper offers an original theoretical common ground based on a sustainability-dominant logic linking key SOSCM with CE tenets, this way developing SOSCM theory anchored in the CE paradigm and, conversely, developing CE theory supported by SOSCM principles and praxis. The initial set of propositions introduced in the paper provides a new pathway for future research and debate by OM scholars engaged with SOSCM and CE developments.

A case and framework for expanding the use of model‐free evidence

A case and framework for expanding the use of model‐free evidence

Experiential Learning for Sustainability in Supply Chain Management Education

This work is about sustainability-related learning experiences for the discipline of supply chain management (SCM) in Higher Education. It arises from the need to motivate students with relevant and interesting activities to improve their learning performance. Higher Education must respond to dynamic demands to keep impactful topics for students, organizations, and society over time. This work addresses the relevance of contemporary challenges in real-world SCM situations concerning Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also provides an actionable framework integrating experiential learning ideas, the ADDIE model for instructional design, the Triple Bottom Line for sustainability, the continuous improvement cycle, and the SDGs into an SCM model. In a case study, the article illustrates the use of this framework for instructional design in a learning experience from an undergraduate course in an Industrial and Systems Engineering program. The application describes the impact of food ecosystems on cities and communities during the COVID-19 crisis. The results suggest positive attainment levels in students’ learning outcomes and highly favorable opinions regarding learning relevance, interest, motivation, and the recommendation of the course. Therefore, this work contributes to SCM education by including sustainability-related challenges and disciplinary topics in novel instructional designs that will actively prepare future professionals and decision-makers.

An advanced optimization technique for integrating IoT and cloud computing on manufacturing performance for supply chain management

The discipline of Supply Chain Management (SCM) is getting more difficult to master. It is necessary to address information silos on the demand and production frontiers of goods in order to execute the de-coupling factor in the preferences of customers who are engaged in a supply chain to optimize business performance, which in today's world has become a difficulty. The so-called Amazon Effect has, once again, compelled competitors to rethink their approaches to achieving maximum efficiency. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which is part of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Approaches, has been used to offer the preferences of clients of various criteria versus various features (products). AHP is used to compute the weights of criteria, then rank the various alternatives. The AHP method is used to build the pairwise comparison between criteria to check the importance of these criteria. The AHP method checks the consistency of the experts to ensure all data is consistent.

MODELLING THE LINK BETWEEN SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYTICS, SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING APPROACH

Little are known about the nature of the interaction between supply chain analytics, supply chain innovation and competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to propose and validate a theoretical model to investigate whether supply chain analytics positively affects supply chain innovation and competitive advantage, and to examine how supply chain innovation may improve competitive advantage. A theoretical model was developed from extant studies and assessed through the development of a questionnaire survey conducted with South African manufacturers and logistics intermediaries involved in global supply chain operations. The data was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to validate the suggested model. It was found that supply chain analytics have a discernible positive influence on supply chain innovation and competitive advantage. Furthermore, supply chain innovation was found to have a significant impact on enhancing competitive advantage. Therefore, this work provides evidence for the importance of supply chain analytics and supply chain innovation in supporting competitive advantage, in doing so, supply chain innovation mediates the link supply chain analytics and competitive advantage. This study contributes to providing an empirical understanding of the strategic retention of supply chain analytics and supply chain innovation in the supply chain management discipline. Furthermore, it confirms and expands existing theories about innovation and competitive advantage. The findings provide firm grounds for managerial decisions on investment in innovation. This research is the first of its kind to empirically validate the relationships between supply chain analytics, supply chain innovation and competitive advantage in South Africa.\nKeywords: competitive advantage; supply chain innovation; supply chain analytics; structural equation modelling.

Supply chain manager skills - The five most important and why

The Supply Chain Management (SCM) world has become complex and dynamic. What skills do logisticians and supply chain managers need to have to cope with the most recent challenges at work? Being aware of these skills is highly relevant since these people play a fundamental role in ensuring a firm’s competitiveness and success. The aim of this research is to (1) study the literature, (2) carry out qualitative interviews with recruiters in the SCM field, and (3) analyze the job postings on Indeed.com to discover the must-have skills for logisticians and supply chain managers. The study helps to bring more clarity to the still young SCM discipline and tries to make people more aware of the key skills in SCM practices

Testing the shoulders of giants—Replication research using registered reports

AbstractThis editorial encourages supply chain management researchers to conduct and submit replication research for publication consideration to the Journal of Supply Chain Management. The Journal is particularly interested in efforts to replicate both recently published papers that have the potential to change the direction of the discipline and highly influential or “seminal” papers in the supply chain management discipline, regardless of where they were initially published. The Journal will be using the registered report process for these submissions to create strong incentives for researchers to conduct replication studies.

Diagnosing recurrent logistics problems: a combined SCM disciplines and maturity perspective

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to diagnose recurrent logistics problems in a public organization’s network of logistics entities, determining the maturity level of each supply chain (SC) function, and trying to link problems within the SC functions to the maturity level by using the case study method.Design/methodology/approachExtant research on supply chain management (SCM) maturity is combined with notions of SC flows and disciplines. The resulting SCM Disciplines Maturity model comprises multiple diagnostic steps. It is illustrated by means of a developmental case study at a large public organization facing recurrent logistics problems in routine processes.FindingsThe model is shown to be a useful instrument to obtain insight into linkages between recurrent logistics problems and the way an SCM organization harbors multiple SCM disciplines.Originality/valueThe paper examines recurrent logistics problems in relation to SCM maturity, a relatively unknown research subject. It shows how SCM maturity thinking can support the diagnosis of recurrent problems. In a rapidly changing world, it enables further research on diagnosis as a dynamic capability.

The future of sustainable supply chains: a novel tertiary-systematic methodology

PurposeIn recent years, economic, environmental and social sustainability has become one of the fastest-growing research fields. The number of primary and secondary papers addressing the triple bottom line is growing significantly, and the supply chain (SC) management discipline is in the same wave. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a novel tertiary systematic methodology to explore, aggregate, categorise and analyse the findings provided by secondary studies.Design/methodology/approachA novel tertiary systematic literature review approach, including 94 secondary studies, is proposed and used to analyse sustainable SC literature. The papers have been analysed using a research protocol, including descriptive and content analysis criteria.FindingsThis tertiary study does not only provide an overview of the literature on the topic of sustainability in SCs but also goes further, drawing up a categorisation of main research areas and research perspectives adopted by previous researchers. The paper also presents a rank of research gaps and an updated and a prioritised agenda.Originality/valueThis paper provides a novel interpretation of the research topics addressed by the secondary studies and presents a new classification of the literature gaps and their evolution. Finally, a dynamic research compass for both academicians and practitioners is presented.

New perspectives on supply chain resilience

New perspectives on supply chain resilience

Mixed‐integer linear programming optimization for the Supply Chain Game

AbstractIn this article, we describe the use of linear programming in conjunction with an online simulation game in an undergraduate supply chain management class. Supply chain management is a required course for students enrolled in a Business Administration program with a concentration in management. It delivers a broad overview of the supply chain management discipline, using a simulation game by Responsive Learning Technologies to provide students with hands‐on experience designing and managing a supply chain. In this teaching brief, I give an overview of the game and present the formulation of an accompanying mixed‐integer linear programming model to design an optimal supply chain that meets customers, demand while maximizing company profit. Students use a spreadsheet template to develop their own implementation of the model and then apply the optimal solution during the simulation. Consequently, they gain an understanding of the role of network optimization in supply chain management. I conclude with recommendations for management of game activities using this model and a brief discussion of some of the issues to be monitored as the game is played.

Gaining from disorder: Making the case for antifragility in purchasing and supply chain management

The purchasing and supply chain management (P&SCM) discipline assumes that supply chains are fragile systems, hence taking a “negative” approach toward disorder. Building on Taleb’s concept of antifragility—the ability to gain from disorder rather than avoiding it—, we challenge this traditional assumption. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that some companies were indeed able to gain from disorder, whereas some of those that focused too much on robustness and resilience lost ground. Building robust and resilient supply chains may no longer be enough to thrive in today’s highly volatile business world. This article sparks a new debate by introducing antifragility to the P&SCM literature and provides new directions for future research.

Supply Chain Management Research Productivity and Growth: 2017–2019

AbstractThe supply chain management (SCM) discipline lacks resources to assess research performance, and our journals do not always receive fair recognition by other business disciplines. This study therefore extends a series of analyses dating back 50+ years to assess SCM publication productivity, evaluating the most productive schools across six journals as well as the associated growth of the base of SCM scholars. The results depict a relatively stable core set of productive schools, while relative research productivity remains mostly fluid outside this core set. In support, SCM author concentration results depict that the overall base of SCM scholars is continuing to expand without signs of slowing. Both SCM programs and individual scholars can apply the results to benchmark peers to improve research productivity and justify requests for resources at their schools. The results also help young scholars understand SCM research expectations and likewise target potential partners for collaboration. We close with thoughts for scholars, academic leaders, and journal editors, including the need for more international and multidisciplinary research collaboration as well as a greater diversity of schools graduating new SCM scholars. Additionally, SCM scholars and journals should revisit our historically strong ties to professional practice to enhance our research relevancy.

Identifying critical success factors in designing effective and efficient supply chain structures: A literature review

The present research mainly focuses on the review of existing literature on the topic of critical success factors (CSF) in supply chain structures. The main aim of this study is to identify the major critical success factors (CSF) that have been identified previously by academics and researchers during their research on the topics related to the discipline of supply chain management. The literature survey technique has been applied for the present research. This research is based on a critical review of seventy-three published studies on supply chain structures obtained from most important research databases by using the keywords related to supply chain structures such as barriers in the supply chain, critical success factors in supply chain structures. This study will not only contribute towards the existing literature on supply chain structures but will also help researchers to acknowledge the importance of critical success factors in supply chain structures. One of the major aspects of research regarding the supply chain is to reduce cost and that can only be done via effectiveness and efficiency in the processes, which depend on different variables at every level. The researchers have identified many critical success (CSF) factors in designing effective and efficient supply chain structures are a mutual partnership, executing communication and information expertise, support from senior management, human resource management, environmental uncertainty, value-addition process, business management, generating business culture, developing relationships between customer and supplier, logistics. The present research will also highlight the importance of different factors in achieving the effective and efficient in supply chain structures which enable organizations to not only reduce cost but also help them to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction. This study will also be beneficial for managers as it will enable them to identify the critical success factors for their supply chain structures, keeping in view the nature and business environment of their organization.