Rethinking Operations and Supply Chain Management Research in Emerging Economies: Fostering New Methods, Topics, and Approaches
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Abstract
Research in operations and supply chain management (OSCM) in emerging economies has gained rigor and international visibility in recent years. This progress reflects increasing integration into global debates and methodological standards. However, much of the literature remains strongly performance-oriented and firm-centric, often overlooking institutional fragility, informality, and power asymmetries that shape OSCM in these contexts. By thinking outside the box, this paper proposes that advancing OSCM research in emerging economies requires a shift in topics, methods, and theoretical lenses. We encourage scholars in developing countries to explore new topics, such as artificial intelligence and Scope 3 emissions, and to utilize innovative methods, including experiments, archival and big secondary data, grounded theory, and ethnography, to capture embedded practices in complex environments. By embracing conceptual ambition and methodological pluralism, OSCM research in emerging economies can move from context-applicative to context-generative contributions, strengthening its relevance to the broader field.
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