Trends and challenges in operations strategy research: Findings from a systematic literature review

Abstract

Operations strategy is a mature field and requires novel insights for further research and practitioners in companies. To fill this gap, 280 articles were analyzed, by way of a systematic literature review, considering two approaches: topic perspectives (content, process, and competitive priorities), and research paradigms (analysis perspective, general methodology, research design, research typology, and alternative paradigms). Eight challenges were identified and discussed to make novel contributions to cutting-edge knowledge. Among other things, it was found that people’s perceptions of object reality prevail as the dominant paradigm, regarding the source and type of information used. In this sense, the literature suggests additional investigation through the direct observation of object reality and experimental studies, in which the action research approach could play an important role as an alternative paradigm. Additionally, considering Industry 4.0 advances, new research opportunities have emerged which permit artificial reconstruction of object reality to support decision-making. The main contribution of this study is to discuss eight challenges by which to improve research relevance and make both academic and practical contributions. Moreover, several useful data for researchers are provided, including statistics regarding response rates in survey research (dominant paradigm). Finally, these findings can be used to perform further research with additional functional strategies in the companies.

Smart cities and sustainable development in Asia Pacific

“…Así mismo, este requiere de una evaluación exhaustiva, protocolizada, sistemática y explícita de la literatura a usar partiendo siempre de la pregunta de investigación que permita realizar un estudio crítico en base a sus diferentes herramientas para así realizar un análisis exhaustivo de la evidencia [46]. La SRL se distingue por favorecer a otros investigadores en la réplica, continuación o comprobación de escritos, siempre y cuando se enfoquen en los mismos patrones de búsqueda pues se debe garantizar su fiabilidad al contener la razón del por qué y cómo se hicieron [47].…”

Workaholism Scales: Some Challenges Ahead

“…The criteria sought to search for manuscripts pertained to the focus of the analysis: behavioral aspects with consequences for managers. Moreover, the document types were restricted to "Article" and "Review," from journal articles, as those are considered as yielding the highest impact in terms of credibility and the most validated knowledge [21]. There were no restrictions regarding the publication year.…”