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The paper presents a research methodology that could be used to carry out a systematic literature review on the current state of the art of the technological development in the field of the digitalization and unphysicalization of supply chains (SCs). A three-dimensional conceptual framework focusing on the relationship between Digital Technologies (DTs), business processes and SC performance is presented. The study identifies the emerging practices and areas of SC management that could be positively affected by the implementation of DTs. With this in mind, the emerging practices have a high probability to be considered future best practices.

A systematic literature review was conducted on DTs in SC management. The methodology used aims to algorithmically and objectively standardize the information incorporated into thousands of scientific documents. Selected papers were analyzed to investigate the recent literature on SC digitalization and unphysicalization. A total of 87 DTs were selected to be analyzed and subsequently grouped into 11 macro-categories. 17 business processes linked to SC management are taken into account and 17 different impacts on SC management are presented. From a set of 1,585 papers, 5,060 emerging practices were collected and singularly summarized combining DT, business process and impact on SC performance.

A unique analytical perspective provided represents an important evolution when trying to organize the current literature on SC management. The widely used DTs in the practices and the most considered business processes and impacts are highlighted and described. The three-dimensional conceptual framework is graphically represented to allow for the emergence of the best combinations of DT, business process and impact on SC performance. These combinations suggest the most promising areas for the implementation of the emerging practices for SC digitalization and unphysicalization. Additional findings identify and define the most important contexts in which Big Data contributes to SC performance.

The research methodology used is offering progress through which to systemize the current practices as well as detect the potential of digitalization and unphysicalization under the three-dimensional conceptual framework. The paper provides a structured proposal for promising future research directions, assuming that the five research gaps as findings of this research could be the basis for prescriptions, as well as a future research agenda and theory development. Moreover, this research contributes to current managerial issues concerning SC management, referred to data and information management, efficiency and productivity of SC processes, market performance, SC relationship management and risk management in SC.

The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

This paper aims to specify a set of methodological stages to conduct case studies. It presents a graphical representation of these stages, describes how it assists management researchers to build theory from data gathered in the field, and outlines its value for achieving sound management research.

A sample of nine cases published in Management Decision within the last two years (2003‐2004) is selected in order to illustrate these processes.

The paper's major contribution to research methodology is to specify a set of guidelines for conducting case studies and being explicit in how to apply a series of quality criteria for evaluating case studies in practice. The proposal not only helps to conduct research, but also documents the links between the research topics (in the conceptual framework), data (observations and interpretations in the field), data analysis (coding using the concepts in the conceptual framework and emergent themes) and the theory and knowledge accumulated through the research process.

The increasing use of case studies in management, and the desire to build theory from qualitative data, has highlighted a gap between existing proposals and the criteria for rigorous case studies. This contribution helps to close this gap by providing guidelines and the practical application of the quality principles. It assists management researchers working in these paradigms to build theory from qualitative data.

The proposal adds to the tools that management researchers can follow to produce sound research. This paper illustrates several case studies in order to show their epistemological approach, and to evaluate their quality level by applying our principles.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a return on investment (ROI) based review of human resources (HR) analytics. The objectives of this paper are twofold: first, to offer an integrative analysis of the literature on the topic of HR analytics in order to provide scholars and practitioners a comprehensive yet practical ROI-based view on the topic; second, to provide practical implementation tools in order to assist decision makers concerning questions of whether and in which format to implement HR analytics by highlighting specific directions as to where the expected ROI may be found.

This paper is a review paper in which a four-step review and analysis methodology is implemented.

Study results indicate that empirical and conceptual studies in HR analytics generate higher ROI compared to technical- and case-based studies. Additionally, study results indicate that workforce planning and recruitment and selection are two HR tasks, which yield the highest ROI.

The results of this study provide practical information for HR professionals aiming to adopt HR analytics. The ROI-based approach to HR analytics presented in this study provides a robust tool to compare and contrast different dilemma and associated value that can be derived from conducting the various types of HR analytics projects.

A framework is presented that aggregates the findings and clarifies how various HR analytics tools influence ROI and how these relationships can be explained.

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework of cool for social marketing through a comprehensive literature review and integrating extant literature on cool.

A comprehensive search and review of extant literature across social marketing, business disciplines, arts, psychology, social sciences and humanities was undertaken to develop an understanding of cool and its relevance to social marketing. The review permitted developing a comprehensive set of characteristics that are associated with cool.

A conceptual framework of cool organised according to the following dimensions is presented and discussed: deviating from norm, self-expressive, indicative of maturity, subversive, pro-social, evasive, and attractive.

This paper advances theoretical knowledge in the social marketing domain by offering a conceptual framework of cool, and by suggesting a set of guidelines to develop cool social marketing programs.

For service research to develop as an applied social science there is the need to refresh the process of theorizing so it focuses not only on increasing new academic knowledge but also on knowledge that is managerially relevant. This paper aims to provide guidelines to achieve this.

A theorizing process that integrates general theoretic perspectives and contextual research to develop midrange theory is developed. The process is based on the philosophical foundations of pragmatism and abductive reasoning, which has the origins in the 1950s when the management sciences were being established.

A recent research stream that develops midrange theory about customer and actor engagement is used to illustrate the theorizing process.

Practicing managers, customers and other stakeholders in a service system use theory, so there is a need to focus on how theory is used in specific service contexts and how this research leads to academic knowledge that is managerially relevant. Thus, as applied social science, service research needs to explicitly focus on bridging the theory–praxis gap with midrange theory by incorporating a general theoretic perspective and contextual research.

The contribution comes from providing a broader framework to guide the theorizing process that integrates general theoretic perspectives and applied research to develop midrange theory. While general theories operate at the most abstract level of conceptualization, midrange theories are context-specific and applied theory (theories-in-use) is embedded in empirical research.

Nowadays, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are incrementally using e-business tools in order to compete in an extremely hostile market and gain global access. The importance of e-business adoption for the economic success and survival of SMEs creates a very interesting field of research. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a conceptual framework that investigates the factors affecting the e-business adoption decision in SMEs.

The examination of the proposed conceptual framework was made with the use of a newly developed structured questionnaire that was distributed to a group of Greek SMEs. The questionnaire was distributed to 600 companies, while 161 usable questionnaires were finally returned. exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, linear regression methods and the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique were used to test the research hypotheses.

The proposed model explains 71 per cent of the variance of e-business adoption, with firm size, firm scope, IT infrastructure and internet skills being the most important e-business adoption drivers (with firm size being the most significant). On the other hand, CEOs knowledge, adoption cost, and competitive pressure do not seem to play an important role in the e-business adoption decision.

A limitation stemming from the implemented methodology is the use of self report scales to measure the constructs of the proposed model. Moreover, the present paper lacks a longitudinal approach, since it is cross-sectional and provides a static picture of e-business adoption.

The paper makes an effort in order to point out areas that companies should emphasise in order to successfully adopt e-business and, therefore, harvest its potential benefits. Certain practical implications are offered in the final part of the paper.

First, the present study places SMEs in the centre of its attention, while the contemporary research mostly examines the implementation of e-business practices in large organisations. Second, the present study proposes a three-dimensional conceptual framework, including technological, organisational and environmental context. Such a multidimensional approach has randomly been explored in the existing literature. Third, the results of the study may be generalised in other developed countries with similar economic realities and yield interesting outcomes for practitioners in these countries.

The essential investments in new product development (NPD) made by industrial companies entail effective management of NPD activities. In this context, performance measurement is one of the means that can be employed in the pursuit of effectiveness.

This study aims to develop an original conceptual framework to guide research into knowledge transmission between professional external knowledge providers and their business clientele. As such, the framework aims to bridge a gap between theory and practice by explicating the processes which affect knowledge transmission and the conversion of knowledge for business application (i.e. knowledge transference).

Key concepts from disciplines of knowledge management, information management, communications, services marketing and business advice are reviewed and integrated into the development of this framework. Underpinned by a critical realist philosophical lens, it provides a robust research guide for examining business advisor knowledge actions in a changing open environment.

This study identifies that the process of knowledge transmission from a source external to a business is more complex than internal knowledge sharing. It addresses this complexity through a knowledge transmission framework, in a research design that is applicable to any methodological paradigm. Real-world application is identified in its applicability for evaluating mechanisms to facilitate knowledge transmission practices of external advisors to small business in regionally isolated communities.

The critical realist research methodology allows for causality in knowledge transmission to emerge; however, no assertion is made that the conceptual framework developed needs any particular philosophical paradigm for its application. Instead, what is asserted is that the research framework developed in this paper is specifically suited to the characteristics of external knowledge providers, their tacit knowledge and the businesses they service.

This study reconceptualises various theoretical perspectives and develops a sequential process for addressing a research lacuna by specifically examining the processes (or connections) between external business advisor’s knowledge and their advisory actions. With these processes clearly established, the role of external knowledge providers, as knowledge transmitters, deepens the understanding of knowledge transference that up until now has focused typically on internal organisation aspects.

The objective is to carry out a thorough literature review and analysis of sustainable production system (SPS) and identify avenues for the future research.

A sample of 903 articles published from 1996 to 2019 in 40 journals were considered in the analysis. The classification and analysis of articles was done based on: time, focus area, methodology, research stream, authorship, industry sector, critical elements, implementation status, type of support and performance. Based on the analysis the future scope development needs are identified.

The findings are: increasing trend in empirical and conceptual research articles, need of sustainable principles implementation in the product development with combination of all the areas, need of more intercontinental research collaborations as the sustainable production is interconnected rather than isolated, need of sustainable constructs implementation as a coherent set instead of individual constructs, need of integration of sustainable philosophy with other manufacturing philosophies to achieve sustainable results and need of testing and validation of the support by researchers.

The results from the study will be useful to the researchers, academicians and professionals to trace the gaps, growth, pertinence and research developments in the field of SPS.