J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci.
(2010) 38:32–41
DOI 10.1007/s11747-009-0136-2
Research opportunities in supply chain management
James R. Stock & Stefanie L. Boyer & Tracy Harmon
Received: 24 January 2009 / Accepted: 3 February 2009 / Published online: 6 March 2009
# Academy of Marketing Science 2009
Abstract Since its introduction as a concept in the 1980s,
supply chain management (SCM) has undergone significant
modification and expansion. A qualitative analysis of 166
unique definitions of SCM published in the literature iden-
tified three major themes associated with the supply chain
and SCM: (1) activities; (2) benefits; and (3) constituents/
components. Utilizing these themes, key research questions
and issues within the supply chain and SCM are identified that
could be examined by marketing scholars.
Keywords Supply chain management (SCM) . Research
opportunities . SCM components . Qualitative analysis
Introduction
As the discipline of supply chain management (SCM)
continues to develop and broaden, there are significant
opportunities for scholars to answer questions and further
the knowledge base on issues important to consumers,
business organizations and service providers. Theories and
approaches from other disciplines in areas such as customer
J. R. Stock (*)
Department of Marketing, College of Business,
University of South Florida,
4242 East Fowler Avenue, BSN 3403, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
e-mail: jstock@coba.usf.edu
S. L. Boyer
Department of Marketing, College of Business, Bryant University,
Smithfield, RI, USA
T. Harmon
University of Dayton,
Dayton, OH, USA
satisfaction, relationship marketing, trust, channels of distri-
bution, lean management, modeling of the supply chain,
and others can help extend the field of SCM knowledge
(Hunt and Davis 2008).
A primary focus of SCM is the optimization of customer
satisfaction, a broad term encompassing the combined
efforts of many organizations, organizational functions
and processes to meet the needs of customers. Integrating
a variety of functions and processes within and between
organizations is a pivotal part of SCM (Frankel et al. 2008;
Mentzer et al. 2008).
In recent years, organizations have found it difficult to
effectively and profitably compete without establishing
collaborative relationships and mutually beneficial partner-
ships within and beyond their own enterprises. SCM
concepts have been applied across organizations to increase
operating performance, provide new sources of competitive
advantage, provide greater value to consumers, and ulti-
mately develop better managed organizations and inter-
organizational relationships (Trent 2004).
Since its conception in the early 1980s, SCM has
undergone significant change (Laseter and Oliver 2003),
and many perceptions of SCM have been offered by
scholars conducting research in the field. In this article,
166 unique definitions of the term have been analyzed in
order to identify major themes or perspectives that could be
used to guide academic researchers who wish to advance
SCM theory, concepts and principles. These themes are
used to categorize supply chain topics where further
development and advancement could take place. Some of
these developments include:
& Discovering which specific principles, concepts and
theories could be applied to the examination of the
supply chain and SCM;
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41 33

& Identifying the relevance, opportunities and challenges (see Fig. 1). For example, activities include both flows of
in importing theories from other disciplines to SCM; materials and information as well as networks of internal
& Assisting non-SCM scholars understand the supply and external relationships. Benefits include adding value,
chain and SCM and how the field has evolved over creating efficiencies, and customer satisfaction.
time; and Since the 1990s, the number of themes included in
& Keeping scholars involved in supply chain and SCM published SCM definitions has generally increased. The
research from “reinventing the wheel” as they apply majority of SCM definitions include activities such as flows
other theories to the area. of materials and networks of external relationships with
other supply chain firms. Over time, the conceptualization
The first step in addressing these issues is to identify the
of the supply chain and the types of organizations, func-
major themes of published SCM definitions, and then to
tions and processes that have comprised it, have expanded
examine areas of scholarly activity occurring in each theme.
in much the same way that definitions of SCM have been
expanded.
Initially, SCM definitions only included materials flows,
Breadth and scope of supply chain management
but over the years they have expanded to include infor-
research
mation flows. Similarly, the definitions include networks
of relationships, but earlier definitions typically only
A rapid surge in SCM articles and books began to occur in
considered external networks.
the 1990s (Larson and Rogers 1998)1. Since its inception as
Later, both internal and external networks were incor-
a formal area of investigation in the mid-1980s, the
porated. As definitions of SCM developed, they began to
conceptualization of the supply chain and SCM have
include various benefits such as adding value (48%),
evolved from a more narrow focus to one that today is
creating efficiencies (36%), and customer satisfaction
broad and encompassing. Thus, a census of SCM defi-
(28%). Finally, throughout the evolution of SCM defini-
nitions was conducted so that the scope and breadth of the
tions, constituents/component parts were included in more
supply chain and SCM could be determined for the purpose
than three-quarters of all definitions published in the
of identifying how the concepts have evolved over the
literature.4
years and to identify the major themes of those definitions.2
Next, a brief review of the themes and sub-themes are
An examination of thousands of published articles and
presented, followed by a discussion of the potential impli-
books resulted in the identification of 166 unique defi-
cations of these themes for research scholars.
nitions of SCM.3 Three major themes emerged from the
analysis of these unique definitions: (1) activities; (2)
Activities
benefits; and (3) constituents/components. Within each
theme, some sub-themes or nodes were also identified
The first theme of SCM definitions—activities—contains
as sub-themes, the flows of materials and information, and
networks of relationships, which include both internal
1
(within the organization) and external (outside the organiza-
Larson and Rogers (1998) initially tabulated the number of SCM
articles published from the 1980s to 1997. Their computations were
tion) relationships with firms, functions, and/or processes.
updated in this research study through 2004. From 1999 through
2004, an average of more than 1,000 articles per year were published Material/physical and information flows
on various SCM topics.
2
NVivo, a commonly used qualitative software package, was The effective management of product and information
employed to analyze the SCM definitions collected from the ABI/
INFORM database. The researchers utilized the Graneheim and
flows is clearly a key aspect of SCM. Zsidisin, Jun, and
Lundman (2004) methodology for conducting the content analysis of Adams (2000) describe the primary goal of SCM as
SCM definitions and developing the themes and nodes.
3
Although the most widely cited definition of SCM is the one
published by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals
4
(CSCMP), it is by no means the only definition of the concept. As Overall, when examining the SCM definitions published, it was
defined by CSCMP, the definition of SCM “encompasses the planning unusual to find definitions that included all six themes and/or sub-
and management of all activities involved in sourcing and procure- themes (free nodes). In fact, of the 166 unique definitions identified,
ment, conversion, and all logistics management activities. Importantly, only eight possessed all themes and sub-themes, and these appeared
it also includes coordination and collaboration with channel partners, in sources published in 1990, 1995, 2000 (three times), 2001 (twice)
which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third party service providers, and 2002 (see Stevens 1990; Stewart 1995; Groosse 2000; Poirier and
and customers. In essence, supply chain management integrates Bauer 2000; Schonsleben 2000; Lummus et al. 2001; Towers and
supply and demand management within and across companies” Ashford 2001; Elmuti 2002). Typically, most of these definitions were
(CSCMP 2008). quite lengthy.
34 J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41

Figure 1 Frequency of % of
SCM definition themes and THEMES SUB-THEMES FREQUENCY TOTAL
sub-themes (free nodes).
Material/physical

Flows 117 69%

Information
Activities
Internal

Networks of
Relationships 120 71%
SCM
Definitions External

Adds Value 82 48%

Benefits Creates Efficiencies 61 36%

Customer Satisfaction 47 28%

Constituent/component
Parts 133 78%

“effectively managing the flow of materials and information Benefits

from supply sources to the final point of sale” (p. 312).
Likewise, SCM has also been described as the management
of raw materials, in-process materials, and finished-goods
inventories from the point-of-origin to the point-of-
consumption, and the planning and control of materials
and information from suppliers to end customers (Arthur D.
Little, Inc. 1991).
Interestingly, the vast majority of definitions identify
flow only as a one-way process. Either material flows one-
way from the supplier to consumer, or information flows
one-way from the consumer to supplier (Stevens 1989;
Towill et al. 2000). However, a few authors recognized that
material and information travel in two-way flows both up
and down the supply chain (Handfield and Nichols 1999;
Svensson 2002).
Networks of relationships
Establishing networks of relationships between interrelated
and interdependent organizations, as well as across business
units, is another component of the activities theme identified
in SCM definitions. Definitions citing the network of rela-
tionships as a key aspect of SCM refer to those relationships
as either external to the organization, internal across business
units, or a combination of both (Chandra and Kumar 2000;
Morgan and Hunt 1994). SCM has also been described as
“the management of the interface relationships among key
stakeholders and enterprise functions” (Walters and Lancaster
2000, p.160) and the coordination within and between
various supply chain members.
The benefits resulting from effective implementation of
SCM strategies are comprised of three sub-themes (nodes)
that appear repeatedly in SCM definitions: (1) add value;
(2) create efficiencies; or (3) increase customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, the goal of SCM is to achieve greater profitability
by adding value and creating efficiencies, thereby increasing
customer satisfaction (Groosse 2000).
Add value
In SCM, each supply chain member performs a specific
“added value function in relation to the product/service as
it progresses towards the final consumer” (Ritchie and
Brindley 2002, p. 110). Although SCM adds value to the
process, it is important to note that a basic premise of SCM
is that value must increase faster than the costs associated
with creating that value; i.e., efficiently managing the
supply chain (Lamming 1996; Lockamy and Smith 1997).
Create efficiencies
Linking the manufacturer, suppliers and customers, SCM
makes optimum use of shared resources, both internal and
external to the organization, to achieve operating synergy
through greater efficiencies (Cox 1997; Groosse 2000).
SCM developed as a means of improving an organization’s
competitive advantage and the competitiveness of its
constituent members by creating mutually beneficial or
symbiotic supply chain networks. These networks create
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41
greater synergy and efficiencies by allowing organizations
to simultaneously reduce costs and improve profits (Poirier
and Bauer 2000). Over time, as definitions of SCM
expanded, additional organizations, functions and processes
were identified as being part of the supply chain.
Increase customer satisfaction
Understanding and meeting consumer needs is of para-
mount importance in SCM (Mowat and Collins 2000).
According to Kuei et al. (2001), SCM practitioners “must
maintain and sustain a customer-driven culture” (p. 864).
Others argue that the most basic purpose of SCM is
conforming to customer requirements (Taylor 1997).
Constituents or components of SCM
More than three quarters of the SCM definitions address
the components or constituent parts of SCM; i.e., what
organizations, functions and processes comprise the supply
chain. They consist of a multitude of constituencies,
systems and functions, ranging from “material suppliers,
production facilities, distribution services and customers”
(Gunasekaran et al. 2001, p. 71) to purchasing, transporta-
tion, inventory control, materials handling, manufacturing,
distribution, and related systems (Arthur D. Little, Inc.
1991). SCM includes all operations, systems, business
functions and organizations involved in the management of
a particular supply chain.
Areas of exploration for non-SCM researchers
In the development of a discipline, researchers initially
attempt to define key concepts, constructs and terms. These
become the early building blocks for later theory develop-
ment (Hunt 2002). In this article, we have examined many
SCM definitions, developed three major themes of a
consensus definition, and identified key areas of research
that could advance the discipline.
The three themes of published SCM definitions are:
& Activities—Examples include: service versus physical
goods supply chains; strategic partnerships and alli-
ances; materials and information flows and relationships
between supply chain members; product returns/product
out-of- stocks; sourcing/procurement of products and
services; managing global supply chain networks;
measures and metrics of supply chain performance.
& Benefits—Examples include: outputs of integrated
supply chains; doing more with less (e.g., six sigma,
lean management); achieving customer satisfaction, cost
minimization and optimization, cost trade-offs, cost-
35
service trade-offs, and increased profitability to organiza-
tions; sustainability and environmental impacts of supply
chains; risk assessment; minimizing supply chain dis-
ruptions and uncertainties.
& Constituent/component parts—Examples include:
models/structure of SCM (what it does and does not
include); supply chain members, including organiza-
tions, functions and processes; and the supply chain
“captain” or leader.
Topics that overlap all SCM definitions include construct
definition, theory development, application of quantitative
and qualitative methods and approaches to SCM, use of
technology (Hillman and Hochman 2007), postponement
(Goentzel 2008; Parente et al. 2008), and macro supply
chain issues such as hunger relief and disaster response
(Cottrill 2003). In the following sections, each of these three
major themes will be examined with respect to key issues
and questions that require further understanding and insights.
Research opportunities relating to SCM activities
Service versus physical goods supply chains There are two
important questions related to this aspect of “activities” of
SCM. First, there is the question of whether the concepts of
the supply chain and SCM apply to services and not just
products; that is, are there supply chains for services as well
as physical goods?
Historically, services have only been considered as
ancillary to the physical goods/products being distributed by
the supply chain. Few researchers have investigated this issue
(Sulek et al. 2006), but it would seem intuitive that if
products flow through supply chains, so do services. Second,
if physical goods/services are the focus of supply chains and
SCM, which services are most important in successful SCM?
Again, scholars have devoted little research to this issue.
Strategic partnerships and alliances For many years prior
to the introduction of SCM, researchers investigated
strategic partnerships and alliances. Much of the research
concerned developing relationships between two firms,
such as a manufacturer and a supplier, manufacturer and
retailer, and wholesaler and retailer. Because supply chains
involve scores of organizations and not just pairs, research
is needed regarding relationships involving multiple firms.
A few studies have begun to investigate these multiple
relationships, but much more research is needed (Cavinato
1991; Gentry 1993; Monczka and Morgan 1996; Narus and
Anderson 1996).
Materials, information flows and relationships between
supply chain members Since the supply chain is made up
of several different, independent members, each with
36
different goals, sizes, needs and desires, the outcomes of
power asymmetry and conflict are inevitable. Vertical
integration has been utilized in an attempt to resolve
incompatibility in the context of channels of distribution,
but SCM researchers have yet to apply VMS concepts to
supply chains. Certainly, the issue of how to integrate
multiple organizations into one cohesive supply chain is an
important one to investigate.
Because of the importance of supply chain members
developing symbiotic relationships with one another in
order to benefit customers and the supply chain as a whole,
an understanding of inter- and intra-firm relationships and
how they are developed, consummated and nurtured are
vital to understanding SCM. As the duration of the
exchange relationship increases, so does the quality of the
relationship. This notion has been an underlying principle
behind the development of long-term partnerships in supply
chains, although it has still not been a major issue examined
by SCM researchers (Fugate et al. 2007).
Product returns/product out-of-stocks Customers have
often faced buying situations where the products they
wanted to buy were not available (Campo et al. 2000;
Emmelheinz et al. 1991; Fitzsimons 2000; Gruen and Corsten
2007). Internet retailing has demonstrated the importance of
both product stock-outs and returns management because
Internet buyers return more products than in- store buyers
(Stock 1998). The majority of researchers examined the
distribution implications of product stock-outs, rather than
buyer behavior issues. Researchers need to examine the roles
that many supply chain members have in the availability of
products in retail stores and how supply chains should
process products being returned in a timely and economical
fashion (Mollenkopf et al. 2007; van Woensel et al. 2007).
Sourcing/procurement of products and services Histori-
cally, purchasing and procurement were topics investigated
by scholars not involved in marketing, distribution or
SCM. With SCM encompassing a large number of
functions and processes, purchasing and procurement are
topics that now can be explored from a supply chain
context (Bernstein and De Vearicourt 2008; Carter et al.
2008; Johnson and Klassen 2005; Kotabe and Murray
2004; Kulp et al. 2006; Metty et al. 2005; Subramanian and
Shaw 2002; Williamson 2008).
Managing global supply chain networks Because there are
multiple organizations involved in a supply chain, individ-
ual enterprises must act in concert to provide customers
with goods and services they require in a manner that is as
efficient and effective as possible. Researchers are just
beginning to investigate how supply chains can be most
effectively managed (Ballou et al. 2000; Cheng and Grimm
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41
2006). From a global perspective, efficient and effective
management of supply chain networks is vital. The procure-
ment of materials from Asia, Africa and South America, the
outsourcing of labor to underdeveloped nations (e.g., tele-
phone call centers, engineering design tasks), and the
acquisition of technologies, processes and management
approaches by US firms from Japan, Korea and other
industrialized Asian nations, are significant aspects of SCM.
Measures and metrics of supply chain performance Manage-
ment scholars have argued that “you can’t manage what
you don’t measure.” With that caveat in mind, supply chain
researchers must expand their research efforts to investigate
the types of measures, metrics and benchmarks that would
be most useful in SCM (Ballou et al. 2000; Johnson and
Davis 1998; Supply Chain Visions 2004). With the
increasing levels of domestic and foreign competition,
organizations must be able to measure their performance
and to implement programs of continuous improvement in
order to remain competitive. Especially important is the
development of key performance indicators (KPI’s) for
supply chains (Farris et al. 2005; Table 1).
Research opportunities relating to benefits provided
through SCM
Outputs of integrated supply chains Intuitively, integrated
supply chains should reduce overall distribution costs and
optimize customer service and satisfaction. Primarily
anecdotal evidence, in the form of case studies, exists to
support these notions. Exploration of this area by researchers
has significant potential for creating more efficient and
effective supply chains (Cousins and Menguc 2006; Hult et
al. 2006; Mitra and Singhal 2008; Paulraj et al. 2008).
Doing more with less (e.g., six sigma, lean management)
Six sigma programs were originally developed within
manufacturing as a way to improve product quality
through fewer errors. Lean management was intended to
reduce the cost of manufacturing while maintaining
product quality and customer service levels. These
approaches have received widespread acceptance and
adoption, but within SCM, their application has been
limited (Goldsby et al. 2006; Schroeder et al. 2008; Zu et
al. 2008). Improving operational efficiency of supply
chains offers great promise for organizations and would
be a fertile area of SCM research.
Achieving customer satisfaction, cost minimization and
optimization, cost trade-offs, cost-service trade-offs, and
increased profitability for organizations SCM attempts to
provide optimal customer satisfaction that results in
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41
Table 1 Opportunities for research in SCM
ACTIVITIES
Flows
Service versus physical goods supply chains
Materials and information flows
Product returns/product out-of-stocks
Sourcing/procurement of products and services
BENEFITS
Add value Create efficiencies
Outputs of integrated supply chains Doing more with less (e.g., six sigma,
Cost-service tradeoffs lean management)
Increasing profitability to organizations Achieving cost minimization and optimization
Sustainability and environmental impacts of Cost tradeoffs
supply chains Risk assessment
Constituents/component parts
Models/structure of SCM (what it does and does not include)
Supply chain members (e.g., organizations, functions, and processes)
Supply chain “captain” or leader
Miscellaneous issues
Theory, including construct definition and theory development
Application of quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches
Use of technology
Postponement in the supply chain
Macro supply chain issues (e.g., hunger relief, disaster response)
positive customer perceptions and ultimately will enhance
customer loyalty. Examination of whether customers are
more loyal to firms that are part of an integrated supply
chain than more traditional channels is an important issue to
address.
One of the common assumptions associated with SCM is
that an integrated supply chain will result in increased
customer satisfaction, lower costs, and increased profitabil-
ity for the supply chain as a whole (Amato-McCoy 2006;
Chan et al. 2006; Harkins and Chin 1999; Yeung 2008).
This “common sense” approach to SCM has been supported
largely by anecdotal evidence provided in short case studies
published in trade and professional journals. However, little
empirical data beyond these case studies have been presented
to substantiate those intuitive perceptions.
A few SCM studies have attempted to examine these
issues more specifically, but they have been primarily based
on perceptions of success rather than empirical measures of
performance (Larson et al. 2007).
37
Networks of relationships
Strategic partnerships and alliances
Relationships between members of the
supply chains
Managing global supply chain networks
Measures and metrics of supply chain
performance
Increase customer service
Achieving customer satisfaction
Minimizing supply chain disruptions and
uncertainties
Sustainability and environmental impacts of supply chains
Macro-societal issues such as rising energy prices,
potential threats of global warming, future availability of
scarce, non-renewable resources, and the carbon footprints
of large, multi-national organizations, have become global
concerns of governments, organizations and consumers.
The supply chain processes of moving and storing products
and other materials (e.g., supplies, raw materials, and
component parts) require significant amounts of energy
and result in the creation of large amounts of emissions
from transportation equipment and storage warehouses
(Penman and Stock 1994; Stock 2008). These issues are
important macro-societal topics for investigation.
Historically, SCM research has primarily examined cost
and service aspects of integrated supply chains, with few
research studies examining energy, ecology and sustain-
ability aspects of distribution (Carter and Rogers 2008; Lee
et al. 2008; Pan 2003; Stock 1978; Viadiu et al. 2006). The
rising importance of macro issues such as global warming,
38
higher petroleum costs, and development of alternative
fuels will require the multiple organizations that comprise
a supply chain to consider the impact of their activities
on large groups of customers and non-customers (Vickery
et al. 1999).
Risk assessment; minimizing supply chain disruptions and
uncertainties Since “9/11” in 2001, security, terrorist
threats, increasing prices and uncertain availability of raw
materials (especially energy), have prompted organizations
to develop contingency plans to handle potential supply
disruptions. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other
“acts of God” can also cause supply chain disruptions that
can negatively impact organizations and consumers. Scholars
will need to examine the antecedents and consequences of
these disruptions and uncertainties (Blackhurst et al. 2008;
Chopra and Sodhi 2004; Manuj and Mentzer 2008; Paulraj
and Chen 2007; Rigby and Bilodeau 2007; Roth et al. 2008;
Stokes 2008; Wagner and Bode 2008; Zsidisin and Smith
2005).
Research opportunities related to the components of SCM
Models/structure of SCM (what it does and does not
include) An important issue within SCM is whether
successful supply chains share any specific characteristics.
Extension of the Rinehart et al. (2004) research would help
to answer the question: “Are supply chains unique? Or, are
successful supply chains pretty much the same, with only a
few differences?” Exploration of these questions would be
extremely important to those scholars attempting to develop
supply chain models (Bowersox et al. 2007; Mentzer et al.
2007; Moberg et al. 2008; Stock and Lambert 2001). If
there are similarities, basic models can be developed and
adjusted to meet the needs of specific supply chains. If not,
such model building efforts will be more difficult.
Supply chain members, including organizations, functions
and processes Scores of organizations may be involved in a
single supply chain, and many functions and processes are
involved in SCM. Not every aspect of every function or
process is part of SCM, but questions exist as to what
functions and processes should be part of it (Larson et al.
2007)? These issues are being vigorously debated by
supply chain scholars (Affonso et al. 2008; Denton 2008;
Gimenez 2006; Green et al. 2008; Lummus et al. 2006), but
so far, there are no specific, generalizable answers.
Supply chain “captain” or leader It is likely that there
exists a “captain” within the supply chain, much as a
captain often exists within a channel of distribution (Richey
et al. 2006). These captains provide the leadership for
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41
eliminating waste and duplication, and aiding in the
successful management of the supply chain. Often, these
captains are the largest organizations in the supply chain,
such as IBM, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, or Walmart. More
than two decades ago, researchers examined channel
captains in traditional and vertically integrated distribution
systems, but SCM researchers have yet to apply that
knowledge to managing the supply chain.
Miscellaneous topics that permeate SCM
Other topics that overlap all SCM definitions include
construct definition, theory development, application of
quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches to
SCM, use of technology (Hillman and Hochman 2007),
postponement (Goentzel 2008; Parente et al. 2008), and
macro supply chain issues such as hunger relief and disaster
response (Cottrill 2003). These areas have not been
researched extensively by SCM scholars, but have been
examined within other disciplines for some time. Scholars
in other business disciplines could make significant contri-
butions to the body of supply chain knowledge by engaging
in theoretical research into SCM and defining terms more
precisely so as to allow for propositions, hypotheses and
lawlike generalizations to be developed.
Keller et al. (2002) noted that in the past, much of the
research conducted in SCM and logistics was survey-based,
but that more recently, qualitative methods have been
utilized (Mentzer and Kahn 1995). In newer areas of study
such as supply chains and SCM, various qualitative
research methods, grounded theory and other approaches,
offer potential insights into the field.
Additionally, because supply chains involve multiple
organizations and individuals in decision-making activities,
the use of dyadic research should be of value, especially
examining various partnership and alliance relationships. In
fact, because supply chains are often examined with respect
to multiple organizations such as a manufacturer, its first-
and second-tier suppliers, and customers (Supply Chain
Council 2008), the use of triads or “quatrads” would be
especially useful in examining such relationships involving
multiple entities.
Technology has impacted every area of the enterprise
and there are numerous potential issues within SCM that
could be examined from this perspective. Examples include
the diffusion of technological innovations within individual
and multiple firms in a supply chain, assessing various
supply chain technologies (e.g., information systems, com-
puter hardware, software) in assisting in the implementation
of SCM, examining technology adoption and diffusion
among supply chain organizations of varying sizes, geo-
graphic locations and industry types, and the financial
J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. (2010) 38:32–41
implications of technology investment (e.g., ROI, ROA).
Because technological advances are occurring continuously,
these issues will be of ongoing interest to members of
supply chains and hence, should also be to researchers.
Finally, because SCM impacts many macro-societal
issues such as disaster relief efforts and world food
distribution to poverty-stricken regions, scholars could
examine the types of supply chains needed to implement
various relief programs, determine the optimal locations for
“massing” relief supplies before and after disasters, devel-
oping joint effort approaches of governments and agencies
for responding to national and international crises, and
other macro-strategies for providing relief to those in need.
A concluding thought
The identification of major themes—Activities, Benefits,
and Constituents/component Parts—in SCM definitions
highlights areas where SCM research has, or is being
conducted, although much more is possible that could
advance the levels of knowledge and theory development in
SCM (see Wacker 2004).
The identification of SCM themes provides a unified
structure from which more focused and synergistic research
can be conducted. While much of the previous SCM
research has examined a potpourri of supply chain and
SCM-related issues, the development of specific research
based on the common themes of SCM definitions can result
in “streams of SCM research” that could potentially provide
significant insights into the topic and prevent researchers
from “reinventing the wheel.”
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