Methodological Approaches for Next Generation Supply Chains

Collaborative management research approaches (e.g. Action research, Intervention research) emerged to overcome what is considered as a lack of integration between empiricism and theoretical knowledge. In such approaches, researchers will not be just observing the phenomenon, however, they should be immersed in the empirical settings, and the research process will be performed collaboratively through engaging all the stakeholders (researchers, practitioners, policy makers). Through a content analysis, the present research draws on the findings of scholarly publications which employed collaborative management approaches in their research design. The paper presents a research agenda for knowledge co-generation between different supply chain stakeholders. The potential drawbacks of adopting collaborative management research approaches in supply chain research - for instance concerns on the methodological rigor - are also scrutinised. The findings of this paper contribute to a better understanding of managing collaborative research processes, which engages practitioners in the research process, and involves researchers in the practitioners’ system.