Looking Back and Moving Forward: 50 years of the Journal of Supply Chain Management

• Author: Craig R. Carter,Lutz Kaufmann,Lisa M. Ellram,Chad W. Autry,Xiande Zhao,Thomas E. Callarman
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12045
• Published date: 01 January 2014
• Date: 01 January 2014

EDITORIAL

LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD: 50 YEARS OF

THE JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

CRAIG R. CARTER

Arizona State University

LISA M. ELLRAM

Miami University

LUTZ KAUFMANN

WHU –Otto Beisheim School of Management

CHAD W. AUTRY

University of Tennessee

XIANDE ZHAO AND THOMAS E. CALLARMAN

China Europe International Business School

This issue marks the 50th volume, and year, of the

publication of the Journal of Supply Chain Management.

As such, this is an opportune moment to look back at

the last 50 years and the more recent 2008–13 time

period since the Journal’s repositioning. It is also an

opportunity to prospectively consider our steps as we

move ahead as a scholarly journal and as a discipline.

In doing so, we introduce the papers that appear in

this 50th anniversary issue, and consider the current

state and the future of research in supply

management, logistics, and the broader supply chain

management discipline. In addition, we provide our

own perspectives concerning the future direction of

supply chain management research.

LOOKING BACK

The Journal of Supply Chain Management was first

published in 1965 under the title of the Journal of Pur-

chasing. The impetus for the creation of the Journal

came from purchasing management academics, who

recognized at the time a need for a scholarly journal

to serve as an outlet for purchasing research, to

broaden its appeal and impact and to enhance the

legitimacy of purchasing as a profession and a

scholarly discipline. The Journal’s founding Editor,

Dr. Harold Fearon, played a pivotal role in working

with the National Association of Purchasing Agents

(now the Institute for Supply Management, or ISM) in

demonstrating the value and viability of creating the

Journal. Dr. Fearon continues to serve the Journal as a

member of its Advisory Board, as do Donald Dobler

(editor from 1980–96 and editor emeritus), Phil

Carter (editor from 1997–2001 and editor emeritus)

and Alvin Williams (editor from 2002–07 and editor

emeritus). In 1999, the name of the Journal was

changed to the Journal of Supply Chain Management to

reflect, “…the increasing emphasis on supply chain

management as the overarching paradigm for research

in purchasing and supply” (Carter, 1999, p. 2).

Drs. Craig Carter, Lisa Ellram, and Lutz Kaufmann

assumed the editorship of JSCM and began to manage

the review process in March 2007. This allowed the

editorial team to be responsible for all content from

the first issue of 2008 (Volume 44, Issue 1) onward.

At the time of this transition, the editorial team was

charged by ISM with the mission of making JSCM

THE journal of choice among supply chain manage-

ment scholars. In response to this charge, the team

made a number of substantial changes to JSCM.

An Advisory Board was created, consisting of

thought leaders in the broad supply chain manage-

ment discipline. The members of JSCM’s Advisory

Board are not only thought leaders in the discipline,

but serve as key resources who are actively engaged in

supporting the Journal. The Journal’s review process

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Journal of Supply Chain Management