Some ideas and guidance for prospective IJPDLM authors

Citation

Ellinger, A. and Glenn Richey Jr, R. (2013), "Some ideas and guidance for prospective IJPDLM authors", International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 43 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijpdlm.2013.00543caa.001

Some ideas and guidance for prospective IJPDLM authors

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Volume 43, Issue 3

Greetings! We elected not to write an Editorial for the first issue of Volume 43 in anticipation that IJPDLM readers would focus on reading Professor Alan McKinnon’s thought-provoking invited article on the state of logistics/SCM research (McKinnon, 2013). If you have not yet read this important contribution to our field, we urge you to do so.

Our last editorial in Volume 42 (10) promised to provide some ideas and suggestions to help prospective authors develop appropriate manuscripts to submit to IJPDLM. So here goes.

First, our vision is for IJPDLM to be the principal home the world comes to for leading edge research bridging strategic areas of business-to-business management, physical distribution, business logistics, marketing channels, and supply chain management. We strive to achieve this by providing authors with “best in class” service through timeliness and fairness in the review process, inclusiveness, receptivity to different perspectives, and ultimately impact. Consistent with this vision, IJPDLM is primarily a strategic logistics/SCM or SCML journal (rather than an operations research, modeling or transportation journal). There are multiple operations research/quantitative modeling journals that publish primarily quantitative/mathematical research and, quite frankly this is not IJPDLM’s niche. There are also several specialist transportation journals (e.g. TJ, JTM and TRE ) that focus primarily on research that is specific to that very important sub-area of our field. We are therefore far less likely to place these sorts of manuscripts into the review process unless they demonstrate relevance to the logistics/SCM strategic issues outlined below.

The intent of the invited manuscript published in the final issue of Volume 41 (Stank et al., 2011) was to stimulate submissions of more strategically focused SCML research. To this end, the authors articulated an agenda for potential future research based on Slone et al. (2010) book entitled The New Supply Chain Agenda. Since the publication of this invited manuscript, we have received a number of excellent manuscripts that pick up on key strategic SCM issues discussed in the book and manuscript (some of which are included in this issue – see below). More recently, Chapter 4 of Dr J. Paul Dittman’s – Executive Director of The Global Supply Chain Institute at The University of Tennessee – new book Supply Chain Transformation (Dittmann, 2013) articulates seven “game changing” SCM megatrends:

1. 1.

   Collaboration.

2. 2.

   Lean and Six Sigma applied to the supply chain.

3. 3.

   Aggressive management of complexity.

4. 4.

   Network optimization.

5. 5.

   The global supply chain.

6. 6.

   The sustainable supply chain.

7. 7.

   The focus on cost and working capital.

We agree with Dr Dittman’s assessment that these will be the key strategic issues in SCM for the immediate and foreseeable future and would encourage authors to overtly demonstrate the relevance of manuscripts submitted to IJPDLM to one or more of these issues. This will help to ensure that manuscripts published in IJPDLM are meaningful to the SCML community of academicians and practitioners and that the journal continues to push the strategic SCM research envelope. At the turn of the century, the late Professor Don Bowersox, viewed by many as the father of our field, authored a manuscript published in Journal of Business Logistics with Professors Dave Closs and Ted Stank (Bowersox et al., 2001). The ten-megatrends that Bowersox and colleagues predicted would revolutionize supply chain logistics have significantly influenced strategic SCML research over the last decade – we would like to see IJPDLM take a leading role in researching Dittman’s seven game changing phenomena over the next decade. To this end, the co-editors will be glad to entertain questions from prospective authors concerning the appropriateness of potential topics prior to submission.

Some additional guidelines that may help prospective IJPDLM authors are:

1. 1.

   Please ensure that your submissions conform to the Author guidelines on the journal web site – especially the instructions that pertain to word length and having structured abstracts and all figures and tables in one anonymous article file. The 7-8,000 word limit (that includes references, tables, figures and appendices as well at the text and abstract) is particularly important since publishing longer manuscripts means accepting fewer ones. Please contact our administrator prior to submission if you have any questions.

2. 2.

   IJPDLM is a global journal. Most of our submissions are from non-English native speakers. Often, really good ideas can get lost in translation. Therefore, manuscripts authored by non-native English speakers stand a better chance of publication if proofed by an English native speaker prior to being submitted.

3. 3.

   As explained in an earlier editorial, the co-editors of IJPDLM have taken a stand (with editors of other leading journals) against coercive citation practices. That being said, authors should nevertheless ensure that previous research in IJPDLM that is relevant to their topic is cited. In addition, demonstrating the relevance of a topic to a particular journal by incorporating previous work published in that journal demonstrates relevance.

4. 4.

   The co-editors also believe that the articulation of a future research agenda is an important part of a quality manuscript. Extension of theory, interesting findings and robust academic and managerial implications are all vital components of a quality manuscript. However, another critical aspect of a quality manuscript is that it stimulates and provides direction for additional research. So, prospective IJPDLM authors should ensure that their submissions clearly address the following issues:

   • •

     What have we found out?

   • •

     Why is that important?

   • •

     What new questions and issues arise from what we have found out?

   • •

     How can these new questions and issues be researched?

Current issue

The current issue contains “Classic topics of increasing importance”. Each manuscript details the importance of growing our knowledge as a community in areas critical to the strategic development of our discipline. The four manuscripts examine the topics of outsourcing, integration, partnering, and sustainability. We believe that this issue contains four of the most influential manuscripts that will be published in this year’s Volume 43.

In the opening manuscript titled, “Connecting strategy-linked outsourcing approaches and performance” authors Brewer, Ashenbaum, and Ogden examine the ongoing strategic issue of improving performance in outsourcing relationships. This classic issue in strategic supply chain logistics management (SCML) inquiry examines the connection between outsourcing goals and measures of outsourcing growth, cost, and differentiation performance. Most importantly, the findings suggest that firms pursuing a dominant strategy achieve lower levels of performance compared to firms pursuing a “balanced” approach.

Next authors Jin, Fawcett, and Fawcett revisit another of the core issues in supply chain strategy – integration. In “Awareness is not enough: commitment and performance implications of supply chain integration,” the authors address the gap between what consultants rhetorically preach versus reality. Using a best practice multi-method replication design, the authors measure companies’ engagement in supply chain integration and that integration’s sway on firm performance. The results are quite unanticipated and therefore should prove influential to future business practice. We won’t blemish the somewhat surprising study findings by summarizing them in this editorial!

Very much related to the first two manuscripts, Zybell’s manuscript addresses the topic of “Partner management – managing service partnerships in the supply chain – a systemic perspective”. Dr Zybell provides our community with a systematic review of the literature in this realm. The manuscript examines enablers, limitations, and conflicting circumstances in partnering and develops propositions within a framework for a performance-oriented partner management. This manuscript is highly relevant and we believe nearly anyone working in SCML can benefit from reading this manuscript.

The final manuscript titled “Creating sustainable fresh food supply chains through waste reduction” authors Kaipia, Dukovska-Popovska, and Loikkanen examines arguably the most important and longest enduring supply chain issue – food supply for life. This manuscript features one of the first examinations of the integrated problem of waste and sustainability management across food supply chains. Focusing on material and information flow, the study provides managerial and research insights on reducing waste and enabling sustainable performance. Specifically, the case studies describe strategic changes concerning data sharing and supply chain structure that enable superior performance within food supply chains.

We hope that you enjoy reading these manuscripts as much as we enjoyed shepherding them through the review process. We also hope that the above suggestions prove useful and informative for prospective IJPDLM authors. Please continue to send us your best work and we promise you a timely and fair decision.

Very respectfully yours,

Alex Ellinger, R. Glenn Richey JrCo-Editors, IJPDLM