Using critical realism and abduction to navigate theory and data in operations and supply chain management research

Abstract

Purpose Operations and supply chain management (OSCM) is a theoretically and philosophically fragmented field. Researchers must consider how they use theory and explain empirical phenomena. This paper aims to use critical realism to introduce more coherence into this fragmented field. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on existing critical realism and abduction literature and this study uses a research process from two PhD projects to investigate critical realism’s role in OSCM research. This paper uses a narrative approach to collect data over a long timeframe, capturing data not commonly used in OSCM research. Findings Research that struggles to bridge the gap between theory and data benefits from critical realism, which provides a philosophy and associated methods to identify a suitable theory and guide researchers when they encounter obstacles. While clear steps often outline established methods, researchers are sometimes unable to identify when their research process has reached an obstacle. This paper argues that such obstacles can be treated as “crossroads” offering new research opportunities when correctly evaluated and addressed. Research limitations/implications Importantly, researchers should be able to reflect upon their own research processes, enabling a better understanding of these processes and the discovery of new research directions. Researchers can use critical realism, abduction and systematic combining to bridge the divide between theory and data in OSCM. Originality/value This paper contributes to the field’s discussion regarding the roles of critical realism and abduction, synthesizing multiple academic sources, highlighting critical realism’s importance and providing a novel means of addressing difficulties in navigating an eclectic research area. This paper offers a philosophical alternate to the field, which is often instead considered from a positivistic standpoint. The paper is valuable to researchers in the OSCM field, who can use the research to improve their selection of data and theories, as well as their understanding of their own research processes.

A Typology of Emerging Market SMEs’ COVID‐19 Response Strategies: The Role of TMTs and Organizational Design

“…However, Foss ( 2020 ) stresses that caution is needed when interpreting prior crisis management research; specifically, they caution that ex‐ante predictions can yield incomplete insights into the intricacies of strategizing during unique contexts, especially during heightened levels of uncertainty which COVID‐19 presents. Thus, we align with scholars who stress the importance of contextualized explanations in order to aid theory refinement, verification, elaboration and extension across different contexts (Eriksson and Engstrom, 2021 ; Paavilainen‐Mäntymäki et al ., 2020 ; Welch et al ., 2011 ) and consider the influence that environmental, organizational and TMT contexts can have on an organization's strategizing and decision‐making under prolonged external shocks.…”

“…Many scholars advocate the importance of understanding the context in which events occur as being critical to understanding variances in behaviours or outcomes generated (Eriksson and Engstrom, 2021; Welch et al ., 2011). A crisis presents a significant change to the environmental context of an organization, where scholars stress the need to integrate context into organizational studies (e.g.…”

“…A crisis presents a significant change to the environmental context of an organization, where scholars stress the need to integrate context into organizational studies (e.g. Eriksson and Engstrom, 2021 ; Foss, 2020 ; Prime, Obadia and Vida, 2009 ). As noted earlier, this research context is multilayered, exploring the environmental context of COVID‐19 within the organizational context of emerging market Indian digital SMEs and their TMTs (Autio et al ., 2014 ; Shepherd and Rudd, 2014 ).…”

“…Contingencies are not only determined by firm size, lifecycle stage and external market and institutional factors (Miller et al ., 2021 ), but also by the nature and magnitude of the crisis, which may pose unique threats, challenges and opportunities (Foss, 2020 ; Williams et al ., 2017 ). Consequently, scholars suggest the need to explore how a change in context may lead to similar or different outcomes of pre‐existing theoretical reasoning (Eriksson and Engstrom, 2021 ; Foss, 2020 ). Much crisis‐related research is in the context of developed market firms, where institutional support can be substantial in helping firms to respond to external shocks – such as for example, the bailout support US automotive manufacturers received to deal with the impact of the 2007–2009 global financial crisis (Congleton, 2009 ).…”

Priorities Determining Future Directions of Sustainable Development in Business Models of the Healthcare Industry—Findings and Framework

“…Since this research focuses on the directions of sustainable development in business models, the work departs from the current understanding of the idiosyncrasies and current state of hospital supply chain networks. It proceeds from the conventional wisdom of inductively building knowledge on the current state and future development [35]. For this purpose, a sample of private hospitals was selected, using a judgmental sampling procedure [36].…”