Expanding supply chain management and logistics research: A year in review
回顾了2021年《商业物流杂志》第42卷的23篇文章，总结了在研究方法、地理覆盖和主题多样性上的进展，并介绍了该卷最后一期的四篇原创论文，涉及卡车运输、采购和区块链技术等议题。
As we introduce the final issue of 2021 and reflect on our first year as editors, it is encouraging to note that the content and rigor of the articles in Volume 42 reflect what we hope to see throughout the rest of our tenure. We cannot take credit for the 23 articles in the Journal for 2021, of course, so we would like to thank the previous JBL editors—Tom Goldsby and Walter Zinn—for their unwavering commitment to advance the field. We have been fortunate to usher in 2021 with articles from four special topic forums (STFs), and we appreciate the time and service of the four teams of STF editors. As incoming editors, we encouraged the continued development of the Journal in several ways (Richey & Davis-Sramek, 2020), and Volume 42 illustrates future objectives. The first three issues include invited thought pieces from the STF editors (Ballot et al. 2021; Choi et al. 2021; Rao et al. 2021; Wieland & Durach, 2021), as well as peer-reviewed conceptual articles (Dong & Franklin, 2021; Novak et al. 2021). They all extend the boundaries of logistics and supply chain management (L&SCM), and they provide a depth of theoretical and practical insight to guide future research. The papers published in 2021 also reflect a variety of data sources and the application of rigorous methodological approaches. Because of the novelty of many of the phenomena of interest, Volume 42 offered rich case studies that utilized both multiple cases (Ellram & Tate, 2021; Plasch et al. 2021) and single cases (Gligor et al. 2021; Sternberg et al. 2021). Rich qualitative data were also used in a thematic analysis (Nath et al. 2021). Further use of primary data was reflected in quantitative studies that employed the Delphi technique (Durach et al. 2021; Kurpjuweit et al. 2021), a traditional survey approach (Iyengar et al. 2021), a scenario-based role-playing experiment (Falcone et al. 2021), and a natural experiment (Wallenburg et al. 2021). Archival data were utilized to construct complex network structures (Wiedmer & Griffis, 2021), offer time series analysis (Miller et al. 2021a, 2021b), and examine outcomes using a difference-in-differences technique (Wiedmer et al. 2021). Finally, Volume 42 offered empirically grounded modeling approaches (Ambra et al. 2021; Li et al. 2021; Sternberg & Denizel, 2021). We hope that future submissions continue to reflect an array of diverse methods that will generate more insight and depth of understanding to L&SCM phenomena. Perhaps what we are most pleased to see is the expanded geographic footprint in Volume 42. Most notably, the collection of authors in the articles published in 2021 span institutions across 17 different countries. Primary data collection was generated from managers in six different countries (i.e., Germany, Sweden, Italy, India, Bangladesh, USA), and the focal location for two papers using empirically derived modeling approaches was in Europe (i.e., Sweden and Belgium). Two of the archival studies also included data from the focal firm's global supply chain members. This international reach is critically important to enhance the Journal's reputation for addressing global SMCL phenomena. Throughout our tenure, we will continue efforts to expand JBL’s scope, methods, and geography. We will also focus attention on expanding JBL’s footprint beyond just the academic community. Each articles published in JBL gets summarized into impactful and “consumable” briefs that highlight their implications for practice. Through JBL’s social media presence on LinkedIn55 https://www.linkedin.com/company/journal-of-business-logisticss/ , these briefs are disseminated to a growing number of followers, with over 62% of followers coming from outside of the academic community. As governments, media, citizens, and administrators increasingly question the impact and importance of academic research, JBL is actively promoting the value offering our community provides to our multiple stakeholders. In the final issue of Volume 42, we are pleased to introduce four original, peer-reviewed articles. They offer additional insight and knowledge related to transportation, purchasing, and L&SCM technology. This issue reflects the traditional logistics-focused phenomena that remain the foundation for JBL (Miller et al. 2021a, 2021b). It also highlights our desire to expand the Journal's focus to upstream issues that have been ever-present in firms but outside of JBL’s traditional focus (Ellram & Tate, 2021). Finally, this issue underscores the importance of examining new L&SCM issues that most firms have yet to embrace but grapple to understand (Gligor et al. 2021). Miller et al. (2021b) address the effect of an important policy change in the U.S. trucking industry. In “Pricing Dynamics in the Truckload Sector: The Moderating Role of the Electronic Logging Device Mandate,” the authors explain how the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate was initiated to make it harder for carriers to violate hours-of-service (HOS) rules. The authors find a significant side effect, however, by noting that the mandate also altered market dynamics to make the market for TL services more efficient. Prior to the mandate, shippers could raise contract prices when spot prices are rising to ensure capacity and lower them when spot prices are decreasing to preserve fleet utilization. Since the mandate, carriers have not been able to artificially adjust capacity in reaction to spot price changes. Miller et al. (2021b) examine another important issue in the trucking industry: driver turnover. In “Exploring Longitudinal Industry-Level Large Truckload Driver Turnover,” the authors use labor economic theory to examine the relationship between industry-level turnover rate and employment. Rather than a linear relationship, the authors find a convex relationship. Specifically, they find that when industry wages are rapidly increasing, drivers are motivated to jump from one carrier to another. Alternately, when industry wages are stagnant, drivers are less incentivized to switch to a new carrier. The findings suggest that to some extent, driver turnover is driven by external factors beyond the control of the carrier. In “Cost Avoidance: Not Everything that Counts is Counted,” Ellram and Tate (2021) underscore the difference between cost savings and cost avoidance. The former is measured and rewarded, while the latter is often not recognized because it is more difficult to trace to a firm's bottom line. The research utilizes agency theory to explore how purchasing managers respond to cost avoidance opportunities. Findings suggest that when top management does not recognize cost avoidance, purchasing agents are more likely to engage in passive opportunism and pursue “easier wins” for which they are rewarded. As such, the authors argue that cost avoidance should be recognized by top management, and it can be legitimized by effective tracking, measuring, and reporting. Finally, Gligor et al. (2021) offer more understanding of supply chain transparency (SCT) in, “Utilizing blockchain technology for supply chain transparency: A resource orchestration perspective.” More specifically, the authors follow and document a blockchain technology implementation project for a small artisanal coffee company in Italy to understand how SCT can be conceptualized and effectively facilitated through the use of this technology. The findings offer theoretical insights related to the structuring, bundling, and leveraging processes required for SCT, resulting in value creation for stakeholders. The authors also highlight how blockchain technology enhances SCT by providing verification of the origin of the raw material and documentation of real-time flow throughout the supply chain. In sum, we hope that the final issue of 2021 continues to signal to the field that JBL remains committed to providing new knowledge that is impactful, relevant, and timeless. We are open to all L&SCM research that advances the discipline. Happy reading!