A review of how pressures and their sources drive sustainable supply chain management practices

A literature review chronicles conceptual and empirical achievements within a research stream. An excellent literature review accomplishes much more. Excellent literature reviews not only explain advances within a research stream ("summarize and synthesize") but also provide a conceptual framework that captures the key elements of the research ("conceptualize") and lay a foundation for future inquiry that can accelerate progress in advancing knowledge ("energize"). We accomplish two main tasks in this editorial. First, we offer details about what constitutes an excellent literature review. Second, we summarize the four literature reviews contained in this special topic forum and explain their excellent features.

Section: The Special Topic Forum Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As an example of summarizing , Marculetiu et al (2023) provide a concise, yet informative overview of their 93 reviewed articles (cf. Table 6 in their article).…”

Section: The Special Topic Forum Articlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What constitutes an excellent literature review? Summarize, synthesize, conceptualize, and energize

Ketchen

Craighead

2023

“…We conducted a systematic literature review following the guidelines put forth by Durach et al (2017) and aligning our approach with recent literature reviews in SCM (e.g. Acocella & Caplice, 2023;Marculetiu et al, 2023). Below, we elaborate on our search process, which consisted of the following steps: (i) defining the scope, (ii) selecting journals and identifying articles based on specific inclusion/ exclusion criteria, and (iii) coding articles.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untying the Gordian knot: A systematic review and integrative framework of supply network complexity

Ateş,

Luzzini

2023

The escalating complexity of supply networks is undeniable, and organizations grapple with myriad globally dispersed suppliers spanning diverse industries and operating amid volatility and uncertainty while having multifaceted interactions. In line with this, scholars have been investigating supply network complexity (SNC) for over two decades, yet the domain is not converging; definitions and operationalizations are varied, a multiplicity of theoretical perspectives exists, performance implications are inconclusive, and supply chain managers are certainly still struggling with the complexity of their supply networks. To address this critical gap, we conducted a rigorous systematic review of 116 articles and synthesized the extant research in a comprehensive nomological network of SNC. Our synthesis encompasses the following key aspects: (i) defining (sub)dimensions of SNC by reconciling diverse conceptualizations, (ii) elaborating on the direct and contingent effects of SNC by highlighting underlying mechanisms and relevant theories, (iii) identifying antecedents of SNC, and (iv) introducing a detailed categorization of SNC management practices and illustrating SNC management capability as an antecedent of such practices. We conclude by presenting an extensive research agenda illustrating the gaps in the literature and charting a path forward in relation to different themes, theories, and methods.

“…The trade-offs organizations face in SCT are not static but dynamic, requiring organizations to continually reassess their SCT strategies in light of evolving pressures. Future research could focus on developing a theoretical framework or model that captures this dynamism (Marculetiu et al, 2023). Furthermore, such dynamism underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of the pressures affecting SCT (Shafiq et al, 2020)…”

Section: Dynamic Nature Of Trade-offs In Sct Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of supply chain transparency research: Antecedents, technologies, types, and outcomes

Budler,

Quiroga,

Trkman

2023

The growing popularity of “Supply Chain Transparency” (SCT) as an idea has motivated its use as a “buzzword,” leading to a lack of terminological clarity. Terms like visibility, transparency, and traceability are used colloquially or as synonyms for one another, yet often without a proper conceptual basis. We argue that the absence of a clear understanding of SCT limits the ability of scholars and practitioners to fully understand the role played by transparency in supply chains and to study its antecedents, technologies, types, and outcomes. Therefore, transparency research is at the point where a scoping review of literature on SCT is particularly useful. Our review first provides a formal conceptualization of SCT, allowing us to identify how transparency has been understood, the building blocks of SCT, and what distinguishes SCT from other concepts. In the review, we initially identify relevant concepts underlying SCT with a view to establish a unifying and nuanced framework for SCT. Second, using that unified conceptualization as a basis, primary outcomes such as the benefits and risks of SCT are determined. Third, we systematically detect and classify future research opportunities arising from the building blocks of SCT.