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Supply chain management - Back to the future?

Gripsrud, Geir ; Jahre, Marianne LU and Persson, Goran (2006) In International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management 36(8). p.643-659
Abstract

Purpose - Distribution arrangements are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic in business as well as in consumer markets. The purpose of the present paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical frameworks available to interpret these distribution arrangements, to uncover how they are interrelated and to suggest extensions. Design/methodology/approach - A survey of extant research is undertaken, starting with the literature on supply chain management (SCM). It turns out that prior to the launch of the SCM concept in the early 1980s, two separate research streams coexisted which both pertain to aspects of distribution. These two research streams are described and traced back to a common root. Findings - It is suggested that SCM may... (More)

Purpose - Distribution arrangements are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic in business as well as in consumer markets. The purpose of the present paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical frameworks available to interpret these distribution arrangements, to uncover how they are interrelated and to suggest extensions. Design/methodology/approach - A survey of extant research is undertaken, starting with the literature on supply chain management (SCM). It turns out that prior to the launch of the SCM concept in the early 1980s, two separate research streams coexisted which both pertain to aspects of distribution. These two research streams are described and traced back to a common root. Findings - It is suggested that SCM may be regarded as an attempt to unite the two separate research streams known as business logistics and marketing channels, respectively. These two approaches have focused on different aspects of distribution arrangements, but both are preoccupied with managerial challenges faced by individual companies. The managerial focus is also very clear in SCM. The paper traces the common roots of all of these approaches to the marketing discipline in the first half of the twentieth century and suggests that this constitutes a basis for the future development. Originality/value - The contribution of the paper is twofold: first the overview of the different streams of literature dealing with distribution arrangements and how they are interrelated has not been spelled out so clearly before. Second, the discussions undertaken suggest that future research would benefit from going "back to the future" in the sense that one can learn from frameworks developed for the purpose of understanding the supply system as a whole, the role of the individual participants in that system, and the underlying economics of such a system.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Channel flow, Distribution, Dynamics, History, Logistics data processing, Supply chain management
in
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management
volume
36
issue
8
pages
17 pages
publisher
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
external identifiers
  • scopus:33748376917
ISSN
0960-0035
DOI
10.1108/09600030610702907
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
c71af31b-8493-4088-ad68-ad6bd24f9733
date added to LUP
2019-06-20 15:20:56
date last changed
2022-03-18 02:06:12
@article{c71af31b-8493-4088-ad68-ad6bd24f9733,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose - Distribution arrangements are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic in business as well as in consumer markets. The purpose of the present paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical frameworks available to interpret these distribution arrangements, to uncover how they are interrelated and to suggest extensions. Design/methodology/approach - A survey of extant research is undertaken, starting with the literature on supply chain management (SCM). It turns out that prior to the launch of the SCM concept in the early 1980s, two separate research streams coexisted which both pertain to aspects of distribution. These two research streams are described and traced back to a common root. Findings - It is suggested that SCM may be regarded as an attempt to unite the two separate research streams known as business logistics and marketing channels, respectively. These two approaches have focused on different aspects of distribution arrangements, but both are preoccupied with managerial challenges faced by individual companies. The managerial focus is also very clear in SCM. The paper traces the common roots of all of these approaches to the marketing discipline in the first half of the twentieth century and suggests that this constitutes a basis for the future development. Originality/value - The contribution of the paper is twofold: first the overview of the different streams of literature dealing with distribution arrangements and how they are interrelated has not been spelled out so clearly before. Second, the discussions undertaken suggest that future research would benefit from going "back to the future" in the sense that one can learn from frameworks developed for the purpose of understanding the supply system as a whole, the role of the individual participants in that system, and the underlying economics of such a system.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gripsrud, Geir and Jahre, Marianne and Persson, Goran}},
  issn         = {{0960-0035}},
  keywords     = {{Channel flow; Distribution; Dynamics; History; Logistics data processing; Supply chain management}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{643--659}},
  publisher    = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management}},
  title        = {{Supply chain management - Back to the future?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09600030610702907}},
  doi          = {{10.1108/09600030610702907}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}