TY - JOUR
T1 - Using mixed methods in logistics and supply chain management research
T2 - current state and future directions
AU - Grant, David B.
AU - Shaw, Sarah
AU - Sweeney, Edward
AU - Bahr, Witold
AU - Chaisurayakarn, Siriwan
AU - Evangelista, Pietro
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, David B. Grant, Sarah Shaw, Edward Sweeney, Witold Bahr, Siriwan Chaisurayakarn and Pietro Evangelista.
PY - 2023/11/10
Y1 - 2023/11/10
N2 - Purpose: Mixed methods research is useful to enhance theoretical and practical research contributions. However, single methods have predominated much logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) research. This paper presents a review of mixed methods research across ten years in LSCM to determine their usage, identify benefits and inhibitors, and provide suggestions for LSCM researchers to realise the benefits from using mixed methods. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a mixed methods approach through a quantitative analysis of methods used in six leading LSCM journals, an e-mail survey of mixed methods article authors during the review period, and four published case studies that used mixed methods.Findings: Only 144 (ten percent) of all empirical articles were published using mixed methods during the review period. A range of benefits and inhibitors regarding mixed methods adoption were found. Suggestions for LSCM authors include research training in mixed methods use and developing a project-specific research design due to the specificity and complexity associated with mixed methods research.Originality/value: LSCM is at a critical juncture, shaped by new contexts, themes and challenges, and would benefit from different research approaches and methods. This paper contributes to the LSCM domain through analysing the current state, benefits and inhibitors of mixed methods research in LSCM journals to provide a renewed call to action and guidelines for mixed methods LSCM research, and suggesting research design adaptation to enable agile and resilient research when investigating rapidly changing and complex phenomena.
AB - Purpose: Mixed methods research is useful to enhance theoretical and practical research contributions. However, single methods have predominated much logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) research. This paper presents a review of mixed methods research across ten years in LSCM to determine their usage, identify benefits and inhibitors, and provide suggestions for LSCM researchers to realise the benefits from using mixed methods. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a mixed methods approach through a quantitative analysis of methods used in six leading LSCM journals, an e-mail survey of mixed methods article authors during the review period, and four published case studies that used mixed methods.Findings: Only 144 (ten percent) of all empirical articles were published using mixed methods during the review period. A range of benefits and inhibitors regarding mixed methods adoption were found. Suggestions for LSCM authors include research training in mixed methods use and developing a project-specific research design due to the specificity and complexity associated with mixed methods research.Originality/value: LSCM is at a critical juncture, shaped by new contexts, themes and challenges, and would benefit from different research approaches and methods. This paper contributes to the LSCM domain through analysing the current state, benefits and inhibitors of mixed methods research in LSCM journals to provide a renewed call to action and guidelines for mixed methods LSCM research, and suggesting research design adaptation to enable agile and resilient research when investigating rapidly changing and complex phenomena.
KW - Research
KW - Mixed methods
KW - Single methods
KW - Logistics
KW - Supply chain management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177590263&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/IJLM-04-2023-0156
DO - 10.1108/IJLM-04-2023-0156
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85177590263
SN - 0957-4093
VL - 34
SP - 177
EP - 198
JO - The International Journal of Logistics Management
JF - The International Journal of Logistics Management
IS - 7
ER -