Survey research in operations management: a process‐based perspective

TLDR

Survey research in operations management has distinct requirements for theory testing compared to other survey types. The paper aims to guide researchers by synthesizing survey practices to improve the quality of operations‑management research. The authors propose a systematic framework of survey design and execution practices tailored to operations‑management research.

Abstract

This paper provides guidelines for the design and execution of survey research in operations management (OM). The specific requirements of survey research aimed at gathering and analysing data for theory testing are contrasted with other types of survey research. The focus is motivated by the need to tackle the various issues which arise in the process of survey research. The paper does not intend to be exhaustive: its aim is to guide the researcher, presenting a systematic picture which synthesises suitable survey practices for research in an OM context. The fundamental aim is to contribute to an increase in the quality of OM research and, as a consequence, to the status of the OM discipline among the scientific community.