Qualitative examinations of supply chain collaboration and their contribution to the research stream

This research presents a systematic review of the literature on qualitative examinations of supply chain collaboration. Qualitative research is essential to our understanding of how supply chain collaboration is executed and... [ view full abstract ]

This research presents a systematic review of the literature on qualitative examinations of supply chain collaboration. Qualitative research is essential to our understanding of how supply chain collaboration is executed and managed by and between supply chain partners. Qualitative research provides rich content data that allows researchers to use techniques such as those employing exploratory, narrative and phenomenological methodologies. Through a thorough review of the literature over the last ten years from 2007-2016 this paper seeks to answer the following research questions: R1) What are the most significant contributions of qualitative research to the supply chain collaboration research stream? R2) What are the key qualitative methods that are used in supply chain collaboration research? and, R3) What are the emerging gaps and opportunities for qualitative research regarding supply chain collaboration? There are few literature reviews regarding supply chain collaboration and, to date, there are none that explore specifically qualitative research in this literature stream. By learning more about the employed qualitative methodologies and their focus, we seek to provide researchers with data to support ideas for future research, propose new research questions and give insight into the journals and outlets that are publishing qualitative research in this area. Ultimately, this paper seeks to expand of our understanding of how qualitative research has been utilized in studying supply chain collaboration and explore ways that these methods can be used to continually improve our understanding of this important supply chain management phenomena.