Using collaborative research methodologies in humanitarian supply chains

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to develop an existing collaborative research methodology process (Sabri, 2018), contextualise it for application in humanitarian supply chains and test it empirically. Design/Methodology– Building on collaborative research methodology and humanitarian supply chain literatures, the Sabri (2018) collaborative research methodology process is further developed to comprise eight phases of collaborative research contextualised for the humanitarian supply chain domain. The process is applied in a collaborative research case of academia-practitioner knowledge co-creation in a humanitarian supply chain setting, focusing on environmental sustainability improvement. The collaborative case analysis suggests a number of refinements to the elements of the process. Two cycles of academia-practitioner collaborative research were undertaken. Findings– In testing the process, a noticeable improvement in the collaboration among different humanitarian stakeholders was observed, leading to improved stakeholder management. The implementation improved the sustainability awareness and social inclusion of the affected population. Rurality, remoteness, security issues, and resistance of field staff against change were among the main challenges for supply chain researchers to engage in collaborative research in the humanitarian domain. Originality/value –The article addresses the rigour-relevance-reflectiveness debate in the humanitarian supply chain domain. A collaborative research methodology process derived from action research is further developed using humanitarian literature, then applied in a humanitarian logistics case focused on environmental sustainability. The collaborative research methods process facilitates engaged scholarship among the humanitarian stakeholders, as the researchers’ roles move from observatory to participatory knowledge broker. Keywords Humanitarian supply chain, humanitarian logistics, collaborative research, action research, sustainability.