Paradigms, revolutions, and tipping points: The need for using multiple methodologies within the field of supply chain management

The field of supply chain management and operations management is at a starting point for a methodological revolution or paradigm shift. The diffusion of innovations work of Rogers can provide a valuable perspective to better understand how such revolutions to, or shifts in, paradigms can occur. The diffusion and adoption of innovations follow an S-shaped curve. In addition, a field's level of paradigm development offers the positive relationship between productivity and pay, and is also associated with the allocation of such resources as internal funding and grant allocations. Supply chain management has at least the emergence of a paradigm, certain methodologies, such as survey and case study research. Several researchers in the field of management have advocated the importance of an established paradigm to a scholarly field. The right paradigm is one which incorporates multiple, complementary methodologies, in order to triangulate findings.