Operations management theory: a four-level framework for next generation operations

A four-level framework developed in philosophy of science is used to review recent operations management research. Findings reveal that operations management research still bypass key observations and taxonomic steps of scientific inquiry. This blocks research that can move past middle range theories and that can engage with more abstract theoretical levels and also stops the development of theories specific to the field of operations management. We recommend adopting the 4-level framework to get rid of such 'bad habits'.

[1]  Lee J. Krajewski,et al.  Production planning, inventory management and scheduling: Spanning the boundaries , 1990 .

[2]  Donald C. Aucamp.  Closing the marketing loop in aggregate production planning , 1986 .

[3]  Michel Leseure,et al.  Trust in manufacturing engineering project systems: an evolutionary perspective , 2015 .

[4]  Mark Pagell,et al.  Making a meaningful contribution to theory , 2015 .

[5]  A. Tsui,et al.  Configurational Approaches to Organizational Analysis , 1993 .

[6]  Roberto Filippini,et al.  Operations management research: some reflections on evolution, models and empirical studies in OM , 1997 .

[7]  Jack R. Meredith,et al.  Hopes for the future of operations management , 2001 .

[8]  K. Zhou,et al.  How does technological diversity in supplier network drive buyer innovation? Relational process and contingencies , 2015 .

[9]  E. H. Bowman.  Consistency and Optimality in Managerial Decision Making , 1963 .

[10]  Jack R. Meredith,et al.  Theory Building through Conceptual Methods , 1993 .

[11]  Arnoldo C. Hax,et al.  Production and inventory management , 1983 .

[12]  Charles C. Holt.  Learning How to Plan Production, Inventories, and Work Force , 2002, Oper. Res..

[13]  Mark Pagell,et al.  Why Research in Sustainable Supply Chain Management Should Have No Future , 2014 .

[14]  Christopher A. Voss,et al.  Contingency research in operations management practices , 2008 .

[15]  Geoff Buxey,et al.  Strategy not tactics drives aggregate planning , 2003 .

[16]  J. Wacker.  A definition of theory: research guidelines for different theory-building research methods in operations management , 1998 .

[17]  Christopher W. Craighead,et al.  Operations management research: evolution and alternative future paths , 2008 .

[18]  Paul Griffiths,et al.  Cladistic Classification and Functional Explanation , 1994, Philosophy of Science.

[19]  Christopher M. McDermott,et al.  Configurations in operations: an emerging area of study , 2000 .

[20]  R. Schmenner,et al.  On theory in operations management , 1998 .

[21]  Thomas Y. Choi,et al.  THEORY BUILDING IN THE OM/SCM FIELD: POINTING TO THE FUTURE BY LOOKING AT THE PAST , 2011 .

[22]  Joe B. Hanna,et al.  Supply chain management research: Key elements of study design and statistical testing , 2015 .

[23]  H. Walker,et al.  Theoretical perspectives in operations management: an analysis of the literature , 2015 .

[24]  Kenneth K. Boyer.  Evolutionary Patterns of Flexible Automation and Performance: A Longitudinal Study , 1999 .

[25]  Luk N. Van Wassenhove,et al.  Too much theory, not enough understanding , 2009 .

[26]  Benjamin Lawrence,et al.  A life-cycle perspective of professionalism in services , 2016 .

[27]  T. Cheng,et al.  The impact of firms’ social media initiatives on operational efficiency and innovativeness , 2016 .

[28]  G. Buxey.  Production Planning and Scheduling for Seasonal Demand , 1993 .

[29]  Linda G. Sprague,et al.  Evolution of the field of operations management , 2007 .

[30]  Michael A. Hitt.  Relevance of Strategic Management Theory and Research for Supply Chain Management , 2011 .

[31]  K. Singhal,et al.  Holt, Modigliani, Muth, and Simon's work and its role in the renaissance and evolution of operations management , 2007 .

[32]  Christen Rose-Anderssen,et al.  A cladistic classification of commercial aerospace supply chain evolution , 2009 .

[33]  Christopher M. McDermott,et al.  The impact of Health Information Technology bundles on Hospital performance: An econometric study , 2016 .

[34]  P. Swamidass.  Empirical Science: New Frontier in Operations Management Research , 1991 .

[35]  Bradley Morrison,et al.  The problem with workarounds is that they work: The persistence of resource shortages , 2015 .

[36]  G. Hult,et al.  BUILDING THEORY ABOUT SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: SOME TOOLS FROM THE ORGANIZATIONAL SCIENCES , 2011 .

[37]  Ian P. McCarthy,et al.  Strategies for agility: an evolutionary and configurational approach , 2003 .

[38]  Keith Ridgway,et al.  Organisational diversity, evolution and cladistic classifications , 2000 .

[39]  Geoff Buxey,et al.  Aggregate planning for seasonal demand: reconciling theory with practice , 2005 .

[40]  Kai Xu,et al.  Resource based theory in operations management research , 2016 .

[41]  M. Hannan,et al.  The Population Ecology of Organizations , 1977, American Journal of Sociology.

[42]  V. Gilgeous.  Aggregate Planning in UK Manufacturing Companies , 1987 .

[43]  Michel Leseure,et al.  Manufacturing strategies in the hand tool industry , 2000 .

[44]  Environmental Resources Limited.  The Impact on Health , 1983 .