Researchers' Perspectives on Supply Chain Risk Management

TLDR

Supply chain risk management is a nascent field that has attracted growing attention from practitioners and researchers, yet scholars approach it from diverse disciplinary perspectives. This study investigates the diversity of research perspectives on supply chain risk management among operations and supply chain management scholars. The authors reviewed recent literature, conducted focus groups with supply chain thought leaders and international SCRM groups, and surveyed researchers at the 2009 INFORMS meeting to capture these perspectives. They identified three gaps—definition, process, and methodology—and proposed ways to close them as suggested by the researchers.

Abstract

Supply chain risk management (SCRM) is a nascent area emerging from a growing appreciation for supply chain risk by practitioners and by researchers. However, there is diverse perception of research in supply chain risk because these researchers have approached this area from different domains. This paper presents our study of this diversity from the perspectives of operations and supply chain management scholars: First, we reviewed the researchers' output, i.e., the recent research literature. Next, we surveyed two focus groups (members of Supply Chain Thought Leaders and International SCRM groups) with open‐ended questions. Finally, we surveyed operations and supply chain management researchers during the 2009 INFORMS meeting in San Diego. Our findings characterize the diversity in terms of three “gaps”: a definition gap in how researchers define SCRM, a process gap in terms of inadequate coverage of response to risk incidents, and a methodology gap in terms of inadequate use of empirical methods. We also list ways to close these gaps as suggested by the researchers.