Rediscovering relevance

• Published date: 13 May 2019
• Pages: 382-394
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2019-0059
• Date: 13 May 2019
• Author: Douglas M. Lambert
• Subject Matter: Management science & operations

Rediscovering relevance

Douglas M. Lambert

Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to document the growing concerns about the lack of relevance of

business school research, and offer suggestions for journal editors and faculty members in logistics and

supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach –This paper is a review of liter ature related to the rele vance of

business school research and an analysis of trends related to the editorial review boards of the three main

logistics journals.

Findings –The current business school research model is unsustainable. The metrics used are driving the

wrong behavior. Logistics journals, traditionally known for an emphasis on practical relevance, appear to be

emulating the journals of other business functions at a time when there is a growing consensus that these

journals are publishing, more often than not, research of little or no value to practicing managers or society.

Practical implications –The cost of faculty research at AACSB schools, which increasingly benefits no

one but the authors, has been estimated at roughly US$3.8bn annually. Imagine the potential benefits if

business school deans realigned the incentives to encourage faculty to produce credible research that is useful

to business and society.

Originality/value –The hope is to influence senio r logistics faculty wi th tenure to work with busin ess

executives or policym akers to identify long-t erm big idea projects th at will impact business and society,

and publish their resea rch in the logistics journals. Traditio nally, the editors of logistics journa ls included

business executives o n the editorial review b oards and encouraged re search of practical rel evance.

Journal editors should look back and realize what wa s good about the journals and not discard the good

for current fads.

Keywords North America, Management research, Performance measurements, Conceptual research

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Martin Christopherand I started the International Journal of Logistics Management (IJLM)in

1990 to provide a high-quality source of in-depth material examining logistics management.

Our goal was to make IJLM the leadinginternational journal by publishing the latest thinking

in logistics from researchers and practitioners from around the world. The focus would be on

managerialapplications of theory and technique.While we were open to articles in any areaof

logistics, the articles should “provide solutions or at the very least guidelines for framing,

interpreting, or implementing logistics.”We encouraged synthesis papers and reviews that

would serve as benchmarks for scholarly research and direct future inquiry. Also welcome

were papers that addressed “the integration of logistics with other business functions”and

those describing “new procedures or approaches to logistics problems that have direct and

generalized application to logistics practice.”Problem-oriented research was encouraged.

Finally, we were open to “innovative work on theory that brings to light new concepts,

perspectivesand methods and questions current paradigms.”Under specific topics of interest,

we included supply chain management, a developing area of study.

A lot has taken place since we sold IJLM to Emerald after the completion of Volume 15. There

is a growing chorus of concerns about the lack of relevance of business school research. In a 2018

article in BizEd Magazine published by AACSB International, “The moral dilemma of business

research,”Glick et al. (2018) stated that: “The current business research model is unsustainable.

The International Journal of

Logistics Management

Vol. 30 No. 2, 2019

pp. 382-394

© Emerald PublishingLimited

0957-4093

DOI 10.1108/IJLM-02-2019-0059

Received 28 February 2019

Accepted 28 February 2019

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-4093.htm

The author would like to thank Jim Kent, former Partner at McKinsey & Company, Director at Arthur

Andersen, Senior VP at Kraft/Dart Industries, Senior VP at Hobart Food Equipment Company and

CEO at Garland Commercial Industries; his colleague Matias Enz of the University of Missouri,

St. Louis; and the editor for comments and suggestions on an earlier draft of this paper.

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