In introducing the 2020 Emerging Discourse Incubator, Flynn et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12227) urged supply chain scholars to leverage fresh approaches in order to develop supply chain‐specific theory, including approaches that are underutilized within the discipline. In response, we explain how more examination of configurations—meaningful sets of observations within a sample—can enhance theory development and, in particular, fuel the construction of supply chain‐specific theory. First, we describe the value of configurational theorizing while contrasting it with two more popular approaches: one that centers on linear relationships and one that spotlights the unique features of individual observations. Second, we explain the main configurational approaches available to scholars. Here, we pay special attention to qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)—an approach to configurational theorizing that is relatively new to organizational research. Third, we offer examples of how configurational theorizing via the use of QCA can be used to develop supply chain management theory. Although QCA is employed regularly in neighboring fields, QCA remains something of a conceptual curiosity within supply chain management research. This state of affairs represents an important opportunity because QCA's emphasis on causal complexity fits well with the fact that supply chain outcomes usually arise from an array of variables—often at different levels of analysis—and the interplay among them. Thus, better leveraging configurational theory development can facilitate the creation of novel conceptualizations and useful advice for practice.

No abstract

No abstract

Strategic management is considered to be a younger subspecialty of management. As such, it often has been criticized for a lack of rigor in both the framing and testing of hypotheses. In response to this concern, limitations in strategic management research practices, along with recommendations for improvement, have been identified in a stream of articles. The results of these articles have substantially influenced subsequent research designs and methods of execution. Construct measurement stands out as a specific area that would benefit from a focused feature topic, as relatively limited emphasis has been placed on measurement issues in strategic management articles. Therefore, Organizational Research Methods (ORM) invites authors to submit manuscripts for a feature topic on Construct Measurement in Strategic Management. The goal of this feature topic is to advance knowledge regarding the design and application of constructs in empirical strategic management studies. Therefore, we encourage papers that are diverse in approach, including quantitative, qualitative, and review papers. The special section might include, but is not restricted to, the following: The definition of a firm's strategic orientation vis-à-vis Porter's typology versus that of Miles and Snow The representation of firms' aspirations (We see plenty of studies that assume industry average performance and/or the firm's previous year performance as reasonable ways to represent aspirations.) Construct validation of approaches to measurement of prominent strategic management constructs, such as diversification, discretion, knowledge, or social capital Measurement issues in qualitative studies The application of formative versus reflective indicators The use and/or misuse of proxies and how they can undermine construct validity and thus undermine knowledge creation Issues with retrospective data Use of survey data, including reliance on single respondents to capture group-level phenomena and/or whether traditionally low response rates contaminate construct measurement Development and use of multilevel variables Development and validation of new measures for strategic management constructs Organizational Research Methods 14(2) 406-407