Ensuring Impact: Thought Leadership in Logistics and Supply Chain Research

• Author: Walter Zinn,Thomas J. Goldsby
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12161
• Date: 01 June 2017
• Published date: 01 June 2017

Editorial

Ensuring Impact: Thought Leadership in Logistics and Supply

Chain Research

Walter Zinn and Thomas J. Goldsby

The Ohio State University

Achieving impact in research is the goal of any singular article and for the journal, in total. This editorial helps to define how impact in scholar-

ship and practice is achieved in the Journal of Business Logistics. We encourage scholars to “get out ahead”of practice by identifying problems

that truly matter to industry and to conduct those inquiries using state-of-the-art methods, such that relevance, rigor, and impact are fully realized.

Keywords: research impact; supply chain management; disruptive technologies; innovation

We are closing in on the last of the manuscripts processed by

the preceding editorial team of Stan Fawcett and Matt Waller.

We mark this juncture by thanking them for handing the journal

over in great shape and for moving it forward in so many ways.

We also thank them for the collegiality and professionalism with

which they handled the transition.

To ensure that JBL continues to evolve and expand its role as

the thought leader in logistics and supply chain research, we

have put in place policy ideas that we proposed to the Council

of Supply Chain Management and its Academic Strategies

Committee. Speci fically, the main objectives of these policies

are to preserve JBL’s“DNA”as a publication interested in

applied research covering a broad spectrum of logistics and

supply chain resea rch questions, kee p JBL open to any research

method—provided it is the most appropriate to address the

question being researched, and to advance JBL’sreputationasa

top journal.

On the issue of applied research, we have implemented a

Practitioner Panel to provide counsel on the most pressing

issues of concern to the logistics and supply chain community.

As we reported in the last editorial (Zinn and Goldsby 2017),

the panel proposed issues such as supply chain talent, e-commerce

and omni-channel, risk and resilience, analytics, government

regulation and investment in infrastructure, and disruptive tech-

nologies, such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, automa-

tion, and asset-sharing. This undoubtedly is a broad list that

might prompt the interest of the research community. It is

certainly guiding us in proposing Special Topic Forums (STFs)

for future issues. In fact, two soon to be issued STFs focus

on a couple of forward looking issues: (1) the Physical Inter-

net and the Internet of Things and (2) Blockchain. Our hope

is that counsel from practice will help us to ensure that we

remain relevant, achieve impact, and, ultimately, improve the

reputation of the journal.

Impactful research is the key to improving the stature of our

work, individually, and, collectively, in the journal. Impactful

research fosters dialog among fellow scholars and practitioners.

It exhibits both rigor and relevance—without sacrificing one for

the other (Mentzer 2008).

During the past year, we have observed practices that are

worth noting for their potential effect on impact. First, a number

of manuscripts were submitted with predictable or nonfalsifiable

hypotheses. Developing hypotheses that are of higher value to

the state-of-the-art could prove helpful. Predicting meaningful

interactions, for instance, is one way to offer an impactful contri-

bution. Second, some issues might be over-researched. While we

will continue to publish quality research addressing all issues, as

a discipline we could benefit from addressing a broader range of

important issues. Finally, while theory is and will remain central

to quality research, in some cases, it has become an end in itself

not really integrated into the substance of the research. On the

other hand, we have also received quite a few manuscripts

addressing impactful issues and employing state-of-the-art

methodology. The manuscripts published in this issue fit this

description, as described below.

On the issue of method, we should note that there has been a

higher than expected number of qualitative manuscripts submit-

ted in the past year. While we remain open to qualitative

research, the journal should remain balanced with respect to the

different methods. In addition, as most are aware, we have modi-

fied the review process and implemented a methods review,

whereby an expert on the method employed in a manuscript is

asked to provide an abbreviated review focused only on the

method. This reviewer, who might or might not be from our

field, is asked if the method employed is the most appropriate

for the question asked, if its application is consistent with the

“state-of-the art”and, if not, if is it salvageable. The methods

review is designed to be positive in its suggestions for improve-

ment and is also designed to ensure that papers published in JBL

are consistent with what is expected in top journals. We encour-

age researchers to work with co-authors with appropriate

methodological background if they feel it will improve the manu-

script. In addition, such co-authors outside our field represent an

opportunity to expose the quality of JBL research and thus help

Corresponding author:

Walter Zinn, Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Programs,

Professor of Logistics, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State

University, 200 Fisher Hall, 2100 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210,

USA; E-mail: zinn.13@osu.edu

Journal of Business Logistics, 2017, 38(2): 78–79 doi: 10.1111/jbl.12161

© Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals