Guest editorial: humanitarian logistics - an opportunity for service research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature service operations management (OM) and its application to the field of humanitarian operations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper serves as the editorial for this issue of JHLSCM. Findings – The paper suggests that there is an opportunity for service OM academics to apply their knowledge and skills to answer fundamental questions in the humanitarian OM field. Research limitations/implications – There is a need for a re-conceptualization of the term “humanitarian operations” to include services. Humanitarian OM is not just products but also services. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the knowledge and applications of services OM in humanitarian operations research. This is the first work to identify how services OM theories can be adopted for humanitarian OM research. This research should serve as a foundation for future research.

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