Strategic adoption of logistics and supply chain management

Purpose: This paper develops a thorough understanding of the adoption of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) in practice, particularly at a strategic level, through investigating a four perspectives taxonomy of relationships between logistics and SCM.

Design/methodology/approach: Based on a comprehensive literature review three specific research questions are proposed and addressed through empirical work comprising three phases: focused interviews, a questionnaire survey and focus groups.

Findings: Findings provide a usage profile of the four perspectives and indicate a divergence between the understanding and adoption of logistics and SCM principles and concepts at a strategic level in firms. Findings also identify critical success factors and inhibitors to success in addressing this divergence.

Research limitations/implications: Insights generated using the methodologically pluralist research design could extend to include case studies, grounded theory and action research. Replicating the research in other geographical areas could facilitate international comparisons.

Practical implications: Findings allow practitioners to compare their perspectives on relationships between logistics and supply chain management with peers. Critical success factors and inhibitors to success provide a rational basis for realising the strategic potential of logistics and supply chain management in practice.

Originality/value: New insights into practitioner perspectives vis-à-vis logistics versus supply chain management developed and presented along with a fresh understanding of factors driving and inhibiting strategic SCM adoption.

Keywords: Logistics, supply chain management, practitioner perspectives, strategy