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The purpose of this paper is to provide rankings of quality of peer reviewed periodicals for faculty research use, rankings of usefuless of both peer reviewed and non‐peer reviewed periodicals for teaching and outreach purposes, and rankings of usefulness of search engines for finding articles.

An online survey was conducted during the Autumn Semester of 2006. 82 periodicals were identified as relevant to the Supply Chain Management field. Respondents were asked to rank their top used journals in terms of use for teaching, outreach and research.

A total of 143 surveys were completed. Journal of Business Logistics, Harvard Business Review, and International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management were the top three ranked journals in the composite index. EBSCO Business Source Premier, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were the top three search engines used to find logistics and SCM articles.

A clear global consensus is forming on the top journals for SCM. However, the emergence of Operations Management/Operations Research Journals into the rankings is an important trend. There was also the absence of previously ranked journals as the field evolved from transportation and distribution to logistics to SCM.

This paper is the largest survey completed to date in the field and substantially updates previous surveys. All academics who are active in SCM will find value in this paper.

One useful way to determine how a proposed system change will influence profit performance and return on assets is by using the Strategic Profit Model (SPM). The SPM demonstrates that Return on Net Worth (RONW) is a function of three factors management can control: net profit, asset turnover and financial leverage. We derive and explain the SPM and then apply the model to six different firms in the footwear industry. We, offer the SPM as a normative tool and use its predictive ability to offer insights to the logistics managers for each firm. We illustrate how the SPM can help maintain operational superiority or initiate a turnaround depending on whether the company is a financially strong or a struggling firm. Results expose certain common elements differentiating firms outperforming the marketplace from those less fortunate.

Today's supply chains face increasing vulnerabilities; effective management of disruptions is critical to an organization's ability to weather disruptive events and remain competitive. Contingency planning is a method of risk management that promotes effective crisis management. This research tests proposed antecedents of contingency planning effectiveness in a supply chain setting.

A survey method was used to gather data from 103 participants who are involved in their respective organization's contingency planning and implementation processes. The data were analyzed using partial least squares to examine relationships between contingency planning effectiveness, inter‐organizational information technology (IT) use, cooperative attitude, and inter‐organizational collaboration.

The proposed model explains 87 percent of the variance in contingency planning effectiveness. The findings suggest that inter‐organizational collaboration, inter‐organizational IT use, and cooperative attitude directly impact contingency planning effectiveness. Inter‐organizational collaboration mediates the relationships between the other antecedents and contingency planning effectiveness.

Although effective contingency planning has been shown to influence positive outcomes, the relationship between contingency planning effectiveness and its antecedents is not well understood in extant literature. This study identifies and investigates key antecedents to contingency planning effectiveness and provides a foundation for continued investigation.

Information systems (IS) play a substantial role in managing reverse logistics (RL) processes. However, the RL literature rarely takes a holistic approach to examining the “success” of IS employment. Drawing on the rich literature base from the IS field, the authors explore IS Success theory in the context of RL. Considering Diffusion of Innovation theory, the authors also examine the effect of motivation on IS utilization. In doing so, the authors provide scholars and practitioners with insight into the factors affecting the success of a RL IS. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Based upon DeLone and McLean's IS Success theory, the authors develop the model to consider information quality, IS utilization, and RL cost effectiveness (as a proxy for net benefits). The authors disaggregate RL into two processes and thus consider the model from two perspectives: the process of receiving returns from customers (inbound) and the process of returning products to suppliers (outbound). The authors survey 136 RL professionals and employ partial least squares modeling for data analysis.

For both inbound and outbound path models, information quality is significantly and positively related to IS utilization; in turn, IS utilization is a significant predictor of net benefits. For inbound, RL goals provide significant motivation to drive IS utilization. For outbound, RL challenges provide significant motivation for IS utilization.

The authors bring IS Success theory into the context of RL. Additionally, by investigating the topic from both inbound and outbound perspectives, the findings suggest differences between inbound and outbound RL processes.

The purpose of this research is to track the evolution of logistics research with a focus on the methods and orientation of the research from the past to the present. Specifically, this paper investigates the evolution of logistics research methodologies in an attempt to address previous calls for a paradigm discussion aimed at assessing the current direction and proposing a future direction for research in the logistics discipline.

The authors chose a previously established framework which describes and evaluates alternative research paradigms. A content analysis of articles in selected journals allows published research of the logistics discipline to be evaluated and categorized. The categorization process uses a two‐dimensional framework which then allows the authors to classify research into cells in a matrix which represent a variety of research paradigms.

The results illustrate that the methodologies employed in logistics have evolved during the period of analysis. The logistics discipline appears to focus on survey‐based research in an attempt to examine attitudinal and behavioral aspects of logistics interactions. Significant amounts of research are also conducted with simulation and mathematical modeling while case study and action research methods comprise a relatively small but growing portion of published logistics research. Nevertheless, the results of the research support the conclusion that the logistics discipline is diversifying its research efforts and expanding the array of issues addressed.

The results are based on a thorough literature review along with the use of well established research frameworks and methodologies. Nevertheless, the research focuses on analyzing the content of logistics discipline research in specific outlets and during specific periods of time. Therefore, while the authors believe the results provide a useful guide for assessing the evolution of research in the discipline, it is not all‐inclusive in nature.

Based on our research results in general logistics, researchers appear to be responding to the evolution of the discipline by expanding their efforts to conduct applied research. It appears that common interests are being identified and in many cases, academicians and practitioners are working together to build an alliance designed to benefit the discipline by building on the strengths of each group.

Research plays an important role in furthering any discipline by enhancing our understanding of issues pertinent to those studying and practicing the discipline. This paper helps academicians and practitioners of the logistics discipline to better understand the direction of the profession and to assist us in shaping the future of the discipline.

Although the importance of establishing sound metrics is often noted in the logistics literature, few research efforts have examined appropriate metrics for reverse logistics (RL) processes. Through the lens of goal-setting theory, the paper identifies and align salient RL goals and metrics, and uncover some of the most common challenges to RL professionals. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The paper used open-ended questions to gather qualitative data from 84 RL professionals from the defense industry. A content analysis method was employed to extract and categorize the goals, challenges, and metrics for RL processes.

The paper identifies specific categories of goals, challenges and metrics. Several themes emerged from the study, to include customer service, disposition, costs, and process efficiencies. Using these themes, the paper matched goals to metrics and found a lack of uniformity and noted that metrics and goals often were not matched or were misaligned.

This research is limited by the defense industry sample and the research method. Caution should be used when generalizing the results, and further research is required to empirically test the validity of the findings. Nonetheless, in the context of goal-setting theory, the study contributes to the performance metrics literature by aligning RL metrics with goals and addressing challenges faced by RL practitioners. By investigating the topic from multiple perspectives, the study provides more detailed findings and demonstrates the differences between the inbound and outbound RL processes.

This study provides insight into the metrics used to monitor and control RL processes. The findings may help firms to identify shortcomings and choose metrics that they can employ to align RL processes with firm goals.

The study contributes to the performance metrics literature by aligning RL metrics with goals and addressing challenges faced by RL practitioners. By investigating the topic from both an inbound and outbound perspective, the study provides more detailed findings and demonstrates the differences between the inbound and outbound RL processes.

The purpose of this article is to expand the base of supply chain knowledge by applying chaos theory principles to selected supply chain functions.

Researchers borrow chaos theory from the natural sciences, provide a basic explanation, and then examine how it may be applied to enhance supply chain management techniques.

Chaos theory principles are used to assist in the examination of forecasting, product design, and inventory management challenges currently facing supply chain practitioners.

Application of chaos theory to various supply chain issues and key functional areas may produce an increase in the level of understanding of supply chain ambiguity and how chaos theory may provide valuable insight into the effective management of supply chain networks.

When applied correctly, chaos theory shows potential to be a tool that can be instrumental in helping explain why unpredictability occurs within nonlinear systems. A better understanding of this phenomenon may help researchers to develop better, more accurate models to assist managers in making better supply chain management decisions, benefiting organizations and customers by simultaneously enhancing cost‐effectiveness and improving customer service levels.

The principles of chaos theory have been introduced as a method that shows early promise as a tool to enhance supply chain effectiveness. Specific applications must now be examined through empirical research.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key issues faced by today's supply chain professionals when managing reverse logistics (RL) processes and compare these issues with the topics examined in extant research. By making such a comparison, the paper identifies areas of practical relevance that are being adequately addressed in the literature, as well as areas that may need further attention.

The paper employed a Delphi method in order to uncover the most salient RL issues faced in industry, as viewed by practitioners. The paper then completed a systematic analysis of the RL literature in order to examine the degree to which topics addressed in the extant literature correspond with the framework proposed by Carter and Ellram (1998). Finally, the paper compared and contrasted the findings of the content analysis and Delphi study, which highlights areas for future investigation that may help to better align research with practice.

In the Delphi study, the paper uncovered and ranked seven key issues for RL managers. These are: customer support, top-management support, communication, costs, formalization, timing of operations, and environmental issues. When compared to Carter and Ellram's (1998) framework, three of the seven factors coincide with factors described in the framework and two factors indirectly relate to the framework. The two factors not specifically represented are costs and formalization.

The findings provide practitioners with an understanding of what factors are most important to consider when managing RL programs. The discussion of the comparison between the Delphi results and extant literature provides guidance as to how to address the RL issues uncovered in this study.

This research effort suggests directions for future research that will better align academic topics with current managerial issues. Although the paper offers many suggestions for future research, the paper proposes that investigating ways to increase formalization of RL programs and establish RL as a profit center within organizations may be the areas in greatest need for additional scholarly research.

Information technology is a key enabler of logistics performance. Unfortunately, most logistics information systems are implemented with forward logistics processes in mind, with little, if any, consideration for the reverse channel. Informed by task‐technology fit theory, the authors aim to explore how use of complementary information technologies to support reverse logistics processes can lead to enhanced process performance.

The authors use a survey method to gather data from logistics professionals who are positioned within various reverse logistics functions. Using reverse logistics processing effectiveness and reverse logistics cost effectiveness as dependent variables, the authors use multiple regression to examine the relationships between indicators of task‐technology fit and reverse logistics performance.

The authors’ models explain 49 percent and 30 percent of the variance in reverse logistics cost effectiveness and processing effectiveness, respectively. Information technology use and reverse logistics technology innovativeness are shown to enhance levels of reverse logistics cost effectiveness; information system compatibility and reverse logistics technology innovativeness are shown to enhance levels of reverse logistics processing effectiveness.

Although limited by the sample frame, the authors’ findings remain consistent with task‐technology fit theory and suggest that employing information technologies that are designed to complement reverse logistics processes can lead to increased reverse logistics process performance.

This study supports the notion that more attention should be given to reverse logistics processes. In order to achieve maximum return on investment, managers should consider allocating resources toward information technologies and systems that directly support reverse logistics.

This research employs a theory that has seen little attention in the logistics literature to provide insight into how use of complementary information technology can enhance reverse logistics processes.

The purpose of this paper is to provide future researchers with a framework for conducting research in the unique field of humanitarian logistics.

The authors categorized humanitarian logistics research articles. Borrowing from the theory of constraints and management information systems literature, the authors developed a framework for research.

The review of humanitarian logistics literature indicates that researchers have begun to lay the foundation for a core body of knowledge. While there is a growing body of research in humanitarian logistics, it is predominately focused on the area of planning.

This effort categorizes past research using elements of logistics, develops a framework for research in humanitarian logistics, and recommends areas for further research.