Summary
The dominating organizational perspectives within supply chain management (SCM) are firmly based in a methodological position of holistic systems thinking. From this perspective, it is argued that activities in organizations are best understood and developed when seen as holistic systems, where the various subsystems and processes are seen to interact and constitute a whole. However, holistic systems thinking fails to provide convincing explanations for the change phenomena many people experience in logistics-oriented organizations. Recent organizational complexity research challenges the systems perspective and argues from an ontological position of radical process thinking. Organizational activity is described in terms of processes of local social interaction, creating further interaction and patterns of action with global effects. The causes and explanations are to be found in the experience of these processes and not in some kind of system. There are profound implications from this shift in methodological orientation for organizational research in SCM.
Keywords
- Supply Chain Management
- Methodology
- Systems Thinking
- Radical Process Thinking
- Organizational Complexity
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
6 References
Allen, P. M. (1998): Evolving complexity in social science, in: Altman, G. & Koch, W. A. (eds.): Systems: New Paradigms for the Human Sciences, Walter de Gruyter, New York.
Arlbjorn, J. S., Halldorsson, A. (2002): Logistics knowledge creation: Reflections on content, processes and context, in: International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 32(1): 22–40.
Baugh, K. (1990): The Methodology of Herbert Blumer. Critical Interpretation and Repair, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Blumer, H. (1969): Symbolic Interactionism. Perspective and Method, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Casti, J. (1997): Complexification: Explaining a Paradoxical World through the Science of Surprise, HarperCollins, London.
Christensen, B. (2003): Reframing consulting from within human relating, Unpublished DMan-thesis, University of Hertfordshire, London.
Christopher, M. (1998): Logistics and Supply Chain Management, second edition, Pearson Education, London.
Croxton, K. L., GarcÍa-Dastugue, S. J., Lambert, D. M., Rogers, D. S. (2001): The Supply Chain Management Processes, in: International Journal of Logistics Management, 12(2): 13–36.
Elias, N. (2000): The Civilizing Process, Blackwell, Oxford. First published 1939.
Ellram, L. M. (1996): The use of the Case Study Method in Logistics Research, in: Journal of Business Logistics, 17(2): 93–138.
Gell-Mann, M. (1994): The quark and the jaguar, Freeman, New York.
Griffin, D. (2002): The Emergence of Leadership: Linking self-organization and ethics, Routledge, London.
Hammer, M. (2001): The superefficient company, in: Harvard Business Review, 79(8): 82–92.
Holland, J. (1998): Emergence from chaos to order, Oxford University Press, New York.
Johannessen, S., Solem, O. (2002): Logistics Organizations: Ideologies, Principles and Practice, in: The International Journal of Logistics Management, 13(1): 31–42.
Johannessen, S. (2003): An Explorative Study of Complexity, Strategy and Change in Logistics Organizations, PhD-thesis 2003:91, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.
Kauffman, S. A. (1993): Origins of order: Self-organization and selection in evolution, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Mead, G. H. (1934): Mind, Self and Society, Chicago University Press, Chicago.
Mears-Young, B., Jackson, M. C. (1997): Integrated logistics — call in the revolutionaries, in: Omega — International Journal of Management Science, 25(6): 605–618.
Mentzer, J. T., Kahn, K. (1995): A framework for logistics research, in: Journal of Business Logistics, 16(1): 231–250.
Naslund, D. (2002): Logistics needs qualitative research — especially action research, in: International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 32(5): 60–77.
Prigogine, I. (1997): The End of Certainty: Time, Chaos and the New Laws of Nature, The Free Press, New York.
Seaker, R. F., Waller, M. A., Dunn, S. C. (1993): A Note on Research Methodology in Business Logistics, in: Logistics and Transportation Review, 29(4): 383–387.
Shaw, P. (2002): Changing the Conversation in Organizations. A Complexity Approach to Change, Routledge, London.
Stacey, R. D., Griffin, D, Shaw, P. (2000): Complexity and Management-Fad or Radical Challenge to Systems Thinking? Routledge, London.
Stacey, R. D. (2003): Strategic Management & Organisational Dynamics: The Challenge of Complexity, Pearson Education Ltd, London.
Stock, J. R., Lambert, D. M. (2001): Strategic Logistics Management, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Taylor, F. W. (1911): Scientific Management, Harper Brothers, New York.
von Bertalanffy, L. (1968): General systems theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, George Braziller, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Physica-Verlag Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Johannessen, S. (2005). Supply Chain Management and the Challenge of Organizational Complexity — Methodological Considerations. In: Kotzab, H., Seuring, S., Müller, M., Reiner, G. (eds) Research Methodologies in Supply Chain Management. Physica-Verlag HD. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-7908-1636-1_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-7908-1636-1_5
Publisher Name: Physica-Verlag HD
Print ISBN: 978-3-7908-1583-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-7908-1636-5
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)