APPLICATION OF EMPIRICAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT RESEARCH TO SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, THE

Journal of Business Logistics, 2006 by Cheng, Liang-Chieh, Grimm, Curtis M

Researchers in supply chain management (SCM) have traditionally relied most heavily on the core disciplines of logistics, marketing, and operations; most are less familiar with empirical literature in strategic management. However, with the evolution of logistics into the more interdisciplinary SCM along with increasing attention within strategic management to supply chain issues, recent empirical research in strategy has much to offer. This study reviews and categorizes more than one hundred articles relevant to SCM drawn primarily from top strategic management journals.

Key Words: Interdisciplinary Research; Strategic Management; Supply Chain Management

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, the field of logistics has evolved into a broader supply chain management (SCM) orientation. At the same time, SCM as a research field has matured (Cooper, Lambert, and Pagh 1997; Kent and Flint 1997). SCM scholars have responded to the call for empirical SCM research to contain a solid theoretical grounding and the highest levels of methodological rigor (Bechtel and Jayaram 1997; Kent and Flint 1997; Mentzer and Kahn 1995). In answering this call, SCM researchers have often incorporated theories and methodologies from neighboring disciplines, in particular marketing and operations (Stock 1990, 1997). Concurrently, as SCM has become a paramount source of competitive advantage for many firms, strategy researchers have increasingly focused on supply chain topics. Accordingly, researchers in both SCM and strategy have extended the linkages between their respective fields. As noted by Wisner (2003), "The practices of logistics and supply chain management along with their associated benefits (better customer service, lower cost, higher quality, and improved competitive advantage) are linked closely with the strategic management literature" (p. 3).

During the past decade, supply chain researchers have increasingly applied theories and conceptual contributions from strategy to their research. For instance, Porter's (1980, 1985) five-forces model and value system notions have been employed by Lynch, Keller, and Ozment (2000) and Wisner (2003), among others. Transaction cost theory (Williamson 1975, 1985) has been applied by Ellram ( 1991 ), Rinehart et al. (2004) and Whipple, Frankel, and Anselmi (1999). The resource-based view (Barney 1991; Peteraf 1993; Wernerfelt 1984) has been utilized by Olavarrieta and Ellinger (1997) and Zsidisin, Ellram, and Ogden (2003). Dynamic capability theory (Teece, Pisano, and Shuen 1997) has provided theoretical insights to Sinkovics and Roath (2004). However, despite the application of relevant strategy theories to SCM, a large body of strategy research that has empirical findings and research methods relevant to SCM subjects remains largely unexplored by SCM researchers.

The purpose of this study is to provide an extensive and systematic review of recent empirical strategic management literature that fits within the boundaries of supply chain management. The next section of the paper describes the methodology, including the management outlets used in the study, the process of article selection, the categories used for grouping the articles, and the analysis of trends in topic area over time. Summary statistics are also provided including the number of articles per journal per year. The main body of the paper identifies and surveys the strategy articles deemed relevant to SCM. The paper concludes with a discussion of this literature, including a presentation of a comprehensive table, which includes information on theoretical framework, data, data year, organizational orientation, and method for each article.

METHODOLOGY

The first step in delineating strategy articles relevant to SCM was to settle on the definition of SCM to be used for the purposes of the study. As noted by a number of researchers, supply chain has been defined in varying ways in the literature. Some have taken a narrower view of the term, restricting the focus to only activities involving buyer and seller relations. Alternatively, SCM can be defined in a broader manner to incorporate upstream and downstream activities as well as traditional logistics functions (Cooper, Lambert, and Pagh 1997, p. 5; Mabert and Venkataramanan 1998, p. 538).

We adopt for the purposes of this study a broader view of SCM. Our conceptualization of SCM is consistent with Wisner (2003): "Supply Chain Management is the integration of key business processes among a network of interdependent suppliers, manufacturers, distribution centers, and retailers in order to improve the flow of goods, services, and information from original suppliers to final customers, within the objectives of reducing system-wide costs while maintaining required service levels" (p. 1). The broader view taken here is also consistent with Mentzer et al. (2001): "Supply Chain Management is defined as the systemic, strategic coordination of traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole" (p. 18). Finally, our view is also consistent with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP 2005): "Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procurement, conversion, and all Logistics Management activities. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies." More specifically, we will adopt the above CSCMP definition of SCM for the purposes of this study.