Bridging the Gap Between Methodological Camps in Supply Chain Management‪.‬

Unlike many disciplines, supply chain management (SCM) is unique in that it is truly a boundary spanning function. At least in theory, it is a discipline that is intertwined with all other organizational functions, from purchasing to marketing. By definition, the key aspect of SCM is the coordination and collaboration of functions within the enterprise and between enterprises. This is what we teach and what we write about. Yet ironically, similar to what has happened in other disciplines, SCM is experiencing a divergence in methodological research, creation of silos and a lack of cross functional collaboration, all in direct contradiction to the very foundation of SCM. The root causes of this methodological chasm may be comparable to those seen in other disciplines. Regardless of the causes, however, if research in SCM is going to advance its theoretical foundation and address truly relevant problems, the divergent methodological camps will need to find a way to bridge this gap for the sake of meaningful progress of the field. In this commentary, I outline my observations on the methodological chasm and offer suggestions that I hope will be helpful in bridging this gap.