Supply chain management research in management journals a review of recent literature (2004-2013)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and review empirical strategic management articles that pertain to supply chain management (SCM) and are published in top management journals. Design/methodology/approach – The researchers review all articles published in five top management journals, namely, Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Management Science, Organization Science, and Strategic Management Journal, from 2004 to 2013, to identify empirical articles relevant to SCM. The researchers subsequently categorize the literature in thematic categories and subcategories, and they identify the theories informing the research and the methodologies applied. Findings – The most prevalent finding of this literature review is that abundant research pertaining to SCM is being published in top management journals. This demonstrates that SCM is a broad phenomenon studied by scholars across disciplines; thus, a broader literature perspective can be beneficial to those working in this area. Moreover, the reviewed studies are informed by theories that extend beyond the “traditionally used” resource-based view and transaction cost economics. Finally, the majority of the research suggests an inter-organizational scope. Originality/value – This study familiarizes logistics/SCM scholars with SCM-related research conducted in the strategic management field, informing them about the types of phenomena studied by strategic management scholars, the theoretical lenses and literature used to enhance understanding of these phenomena, and the empirical methodologies applied to examine those. Importantly, through this familiarization, logistics/SCM scholars can learn from but also contribute to the strategic management literature that pertains to SCM.