Influencing supply chain practice: the action principles approach applied to pandemic risk management

Abstract

PurposeThis paper offers a novel approach for conducting impactful research on emerging topics or practices. This method is particularly relevant in the face of emerging phenomena and new dynamics, such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chain risks. Because these new phenomena and dynamics are relatively unexplored, little prior knowledge exists in literature and industry, and they represent a large opportunity and/or challenge to practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe action principles research (APR) approach, as a newer version of critically engaged research (CER), offers comparison against more traditional empirical or intervention-based research. The authors illustrate the approach with a pandemic risk-management study.FindingsThe APR approach originated in the information technology field. It is highly applicable for researchers who are seeking to more expeditiously support decision making and actioning on new dynamics and emerging topics and practice in supply chain management than is allowed by traditional methods and longitudinal CER.Originality/valueIn the context of ongoing calls for relevance, impact and actionable findings on pandemic risk management, this paper describes an approach to developing timely findings that are actionable for practitioners and that advance science around dynamic and emerging topics or practices. We hope this will grow societal value of research, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new dynamics and uncertainties that managers face in modern supply chains.

Supply chain management research productivity and topics: 2020–2022

“…Readers might also draw COVID ties to other prominent traditional categories, such as innovation (#5), relationships (#16), globalization (#12), and human resources (#13). For instance, scholars emphasize supply chain innovative capabilities as well as strong relationships with supply chain partners to drive supply chain agility and resiliency to deal with a new normal level of higher uncertainty (Rahman et al, 2022; van Hoek et al, 2022). Furthermore, globalization, including specific events like the preceding trade dispute between the United States and China, already represented a prominent topic before the pandemic.…”

Safety in context: routines and the effect of a balanced safety and operations focus on worker perceptions and performance

“…In this light, scholars have encouraged the use of behavioral experiments to determine how management can influence behavioral changes to produce positive results (van Hoek et al. , 2022).…”

“…In this light, scholars have encouraged the use of behavioral experiments to determine how management can influence behavioral changes to produce positive results (van Hoek et al, 2022). Thus, Study 2 extends the correlational study to assess the causal influence of safety and operations focus on transportation professionals' behavior via an experiment using driving simulators.…”

Editorial: From impact and relevance to learning faster and innovating forward – introduction of a new paper category

“…Recognizing the “grand challenges” our discipline faces and can impact (Touboulic and McCarthy, 2020), it is time for researchers to step up and support progress more and faster. That may mean the need for changes in the research process, embracing industry collaboration and the usage of newer methods such as action principles research (van Hoek et al ., 2022). The journal's new section seeks to encourage such approaches, in support of the innovation and transformative needs in supply chain management.…”

“…But given the need to learn faster, there is room and need for an additional approach. Action principle research, for example, (Lacity et al ., 2021; van Hoek et al ., 2022) aims to learn from innovators at the very frontier as they innovate. The benefit of doing so is that early lessons learned can inform innovative efforts of others in a timely manner and inspire researchers as innovation unfolds not after the fact.…”