Supply Chain Management: Developments, Theories and Models

Introduction

Despite the many advances in the Supply Chain Management (SCM) research and practice, there are still gaps in its knowledge base (Burgess, Singh, & Koroglu, 2006). As an interdisciplinary area of research (Chen & Paulraj, 2004), SCM entails many different functions within and between organisations. This is echoed in Burgess et al.’s (2006) remarks that suggest much of the knowledge in SCM still resides in its constituent parts such as purchasing, logistics, information technology, and marketing. The latter has given rise to functional silos that make successful implementation of SCM a complex and challenging task for managers. Moreover, one of the areas of attention in SCM relates to its definition and theoretical base. Some scholars question the theoretical coherence of SCM (Burgess et al., 2006; Chen & Paulraj, 2004; Croom, Romano, & Giannakis, 2000) and attribute it to the diversity of paradigms and theories applied in this area of research.

In light of the above, this chapter addresses gaps related to the conceptual structure of the SCM through extensive and critical review of its developments, theories and models discussed in the literature. The chapter begins by presenting the historical background of SCM, which not only portrays the emergence and evolution of the discipline, but also sheds light on how SCM is perceived today. Next, key organisational theories used to inform supply chain investigations and models developed to understand supply chain operations are detailed. An integrated view of these theories and models is summarised in a framework which provides a holistic view of the SCM. The chapter concludes with a discussion of its practical implications.