thesis topics on logistics and supply chain management

• Find a Freelancer
• Terms and Conditions

Login to Plusacademics

By joining I agree to receive emails from Plusacademics.

Not a member yet? Join now

Reset Password

Enter your Plusacademics profile email and we’ll send a password reset link.

Back to Sign In

Welcome to Plusacademics!

Hundreds of unbeatable services provided through a secured connection.

8 characters or longer. Combine upper and lowercase letters and numbers.

By signing up, I agree to Plusacademics's Terms of Services By joining I agree to receive emails from Plusacademics.

Already a member? Sign In

Welcome to Plusacademics.

Your purchase have been successfully completed

Welcome to Plusacademics

Looking for a freelancer; designers, writers…, browse 100s of experts today and get it done correctly..

[email protected]

50 Supply chain and logistic dissertation topics for 2024

The meaning of supply chain management

To look into supply chain management. There is a poor understanding of how the supply chains operate. Therefore, elaborating how these systems can be managed is necessary. The same issues are evident in the search for supply chain thesis topics.  Most interesting supply chain topics are already researched in detail. Therefore, getting a better topic that can be defended at ease is quite challenging. Despite having our well-researched topics online, you can also access supply chain management thesis topics pdf from our website. we have also compiled a list of Ph.D. topics.

1. Impact of Ukraine and Russia war on global logistics and supply chain

This topic tries to find the consequence of the ongoing war in Europe on the supply chain and logistics of the world. This is one of the best logistic dissertation topics for 2022 that is not yet covered in length. Therefore, one can easily develop a  great thesis from it.

2. Africa as a new heart for the global supply chain

This topic tries to explain why Africa is the new emerging market and manufacturing hub for global supply. Africa has untapped potential such as cheap labor that may be utilized to meet global supply needs.

3. Strategies used for cost reduction in supply chain management

 To find out how to minimize expenditure during supply. High costs tend to affect the outcome in the provision cycle.

4. Effects of E-logistics on supply chain

To determine the outcome of E-logistics on any given process during the distribution of goods or services. Failure to recognize better ways of reaching out to those involved in supply. This is one of the most diverse supply chain management research topics of 2022. It still has so much gap to be covered.

5. Mobility solutions for supply chain

To identify faster ways to efficiently move goods or services. The delay faced during supply has a negative impact on all the participants.

6. Importance of digital transformation on supply

To reveal how adapting to new technology impacts business outcomes. Some employees are unwilling to adapt to change and hence resist training.

7. An analysis of supply chain integration

Evaluating whether incorporation of many participants improves results. Getting onboard partners that are unable to meet deadlines.

8. Evaluating supply chain resilience

Assessing how adaptable the systems are to change. Maintaining the new changes can be challenging.

9. Critical analysis of supply chain agility

To discover how fast businesses can adjust to meet the market requirements. Some firms take a long time to remodel to be at par with current trends.

10. Evaluating risks involved in the supply chain

Gauging the dangers that one can encounter in the supply process. Some risks are man-made and hard to deal with.

11. Managing the supply chain globally

To figure out ways of staying afloat in the market in many regions. There is high competition affecting supply and demand globally which some producers fail to meet.

12. Optimizing costs of the supply chain

To work out methods of upgrading product value while retaining a reasonable price. Upgrading products leads to a rise in prices.

13. Supply chain progressive gradation

To determine how to maintain growth. Stagnation affects most production firms at some point.

14. Effects of leadership changeover in supply chain

To know how to keep the chief officers for longer periods. Getting new employers can affect businesses negatively since they need time to master the new roles.

15. How environmental changes affect the supply chain

To deduce whether the climate can affect the supply chain. It is hard to predict the changes that can occur within a locality.

16.  What does big data do to supply chain management?

To evaluate the impact of a variety of high-volume data in supply chain management. There is limited room for improvement. 

17. Impact of the Green project on the supply chain

To investigate how managers can integrate environmentally friendly processes during production. Establishment of firms with no consideration of their impact on the environment.

18. Importance of Total Quality Management

To evaluate the importance of every member of the team maintaining high standards in their various areas. Pulling in the same direction will always be a cutting edge for all organizations.

19. Effects of political factors on supply chain management

To look into issues related to the government that could influence how goods flow from one point to the next. Regional instabilities due to wars interrupt the normal flow of products.

20. How the law affects supply chain management

To prove that some laws can hinder business systems from normal operation. Businesses that do not meet the stipulated codes of conduct are not allowed to run. 

21. Studying how the IoT works in relation to the supply chain

To ascertain if supply chain management depends on IoT for its smooth operation. Some businesses are unable to keep up hence lose customers.

22. Fourth Industrial Revolution and supply chain management

To determine if 4IR is beneficial to supply chain management. Specialization and flexibility are costly as boundaries become more blurry.

23. Establishing the relationship between supply chains and the performance of firms

To show how a firm’s potential affects the movement of its products. Failing firms can hardly have sustainable supply chains.

24. Effects of Covid-19 on supply chain management

To determine how the pandemic affected businesses and their customers. The pandemic caused businesses to shut down while others had to change modes of operation.

25. Profit maximization in supply chain management

Identifying how to get the most out of the goods and services produced. Wrong pricing of products leads to massive losses that are damaging to the firms.

26. What roles do technological changes play in the supply chain?

To expose how technology is shaping the production of both goods and services. Rapid technological changes have had a huge impact on supply chains. 

27. Importance of business relationships in supply chain management

To plan how beneficial partnerships can be established. Poor consumer supplier relations disrupt efficiency.

28. How is manufacturing important in the supply business?

To establish how significant manufacturing is in the supply chain business. Expensive processes are involved due to a lack of proper planning.

29. Customer satisfaction in relation to supply chain management

To find out how best to meet consumer needs. Good or service production without customer participation.

30. Impact of supply chain management on business

To research the extent to which supply chain management affects any given organization. Inefficient managers lead to the collapse of supply chains. 

31. Supply chain efficiency versus effectiveness

To clarify what the two terms mean in the supply chain. Producers are incapable of differentiating the two concepts.

32. Significance of logistics

To know how to handle logistics to maximize output. Lack of qualified logisticians to handle the procedures involved. 

33. Does analytics in supply chain matter?  

To demonstrate the significance of analytics in supply. Insufficient information on analytics.

34. How supply chains can affect a country’s growth and development

To point out ways in which a disruption in supply chains can cripple progress. Inadequate resource allocation.

35. Use of AI in organizations

To make a comparison between artificial intelligence and human intelligence in firms. Laxity in embracing the use of machines in making decisions.

36. The future of supply chain management

To analyze what lies ahead in the product distribution sector. Inability to correctly predict the market trends.

37. Types of supply chains

To name and list the types of supply chains. Lack of clarity on the types of supply chains that exist.

38. How firms adhere to supply chain ethics

To determine how ethics affect organizations. Inadequate knowledge on the functions of these ethics.

39. Importance of supply chain management to the society

To give a detailed explanation of how the people benefit from proper regulations of supply chains. Few people understand what is involved in production and supply.

40. Supply chain visibility

To discuss how visibility can be maintained from the initial to the final stage. Few suppliers have the ability to trace their goods.

41. How an organization can ensure supply chain sustainability

To find out how companies deal with social, economic, and environmental issues in the process of supplying goods or services. There is disregard for issues that arise relating to the products being distributed.

42. How quality control works in supply chain management

To understand the role of quality control in supply chain management. Suppliers ignore matters related to quality controls resulting in poor outcomes.

43. Essential supply chain management tools

To find out which tools are used. Inability to recognize what is required for successful operations.

44. Lack of qualified personnel in the supply chain

To elaborate on the effect of fewer qualified professionals in supply chain management. Supply chain jobs were not considered to be as valuable.

45. Issues faced by supply chain managers

To state challenges that managers go through. Lack of experience in handling customers hence inability to solve the problems that arise.

46. Challenges that operation managers face currently

To discuss what operation managers experience in their line of work. Lack of the right skills to tackle problems.

47. How operation management is crucial in supply chain management

To bring out the significance of operation management.

48. The key elements in logistics

To describe the elements in logistics. Very few people understand the concept and how it works.

49. Logistics versus supply chain management

To bring out the difference between the two processes. Both deal with the end products in an organization.

50. The probability of supply chain managers being replaced by robots

To establish whether machines will take full control of the supply industry. It is difficult to tell really but it is a very interesting area to delve into.

Popular Post

Compxm answers 2024, how to win capsim competition 2024, free 971 compxm final exam answers 2024, our clients reviews.

- best capsim score ever

- worthy capstone simulation result ever

- compxm 2023

- compxm help

- best capsim help

- best capsim answers

- best academic help 2022

- 970 capsim score 2023

- best capstone help 2023

- best capstone cheat result 2023

100 Unique Logistics Research Topics To Deal With

Table of Contents

Logistics is the process of acquiring, storing, and moving manufactured products from production facilities to retail locations. If you take a course in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM), then for your final assignment, you must work on captivating logistics research topics.

Typically, logistics is a broad subject with numerous subfields and hence you may struggle to identify the right research topic for your logistics dissertation. But with our assistance, you can easily spot the best logistics research topics. Especially, for your convenience, in this blog, we have published a list of unique dissertation topics on logistics and supply chain management. Additionally, we have presented certain tactics to spot the appropriate logistics research topic.

Continue reading this blog and get amazing logistics research ideas.

Know How to Choose a Logistics Research Topic

Topic selection is the first step in the logistics research paper preparation process. Mostly, your instructors will suggest some impressive logistics dissertation topics for you to get started. In case, you are given the liberty to pick a logistics research topic of your choice, follow these steps.

• First, identify the area you are more interested in performing research.
• In the determined logistics research area, search and gather relevant research ideas, titles, or questions that are not examined.
• Brainstorm all the gathered logistics and SCM research ideas and find out its research scope after reading the existing literature.
• Analyze and narrow down the list based on their originality, meaningfulness, feasibility to perform research before the deadline, and availability of resources. Eliminate the topics that have no or least research scope.
• Once again review the refined list and pick a topic that meets your professor or university’s research guidelines.
• Before you confirm the topic, discuss it with your supervisor and get approval for the topic. Consulting with your instructors may aid you in enhancing the quality of your research work.

List of the Best Logistics Research Topics and Ideas

Are you unsure what research topic to choose for logistics research? If yes, then carefully explore the list published below and pick any topic that satisfies your needs. In the list, you will get 100 fascinating logistics research topics, questions, and titles on relevant themes.

Interesting Logistics Research Topics

• Why do businesses integrate technology and service providers to manage the logistics processes?
• Analyze the cost factors in logistics.
• Investigate the role of crowd-sourced freight services in logistics.
• Discuss the practical implications of UK packaging regulations on business logistics.
• Discuss the regulations for sustainable packaging in the United States.
• Examine the impact of app-based rapid freight services in the United Kingdom.
• Analyze warehouse trends and problems in omnichannel logistics.
• How does the use of logistics affect local transport channels in the UK?
• Describe the viability of the warehouse management function for family businesses in the United Kingdom.
• Examine the role of software solutions and outsourced logistics service providers in the United Kingdom.

Excellent Logistics Research Topics

• Compare the current supply chain and logistics regulations in the US with China.
• Discuss Enterprise Integration and its importance.
• Study the business perspectives as well as implementation strategies to provide logistics integration costs.
• Explain how food requirements for tourist seasons are forecasted by famous multicultural restaurants.
• Study humanitarian supply chain integration.
• Analyze the impact of transportation on the logistics industry
• Investigate the applications of smart glasses and autonomous robots in SCM.
• Examine the influence of inventory on the logistics business.
• Investigate anticipatory logistics in supply chain management.
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of implementing AI and IoT in SCM and logistics.

Outstanding Logistics Research Paper Topics

• Study logistics and transportation in Australia.
• Compare value-added logistics and supply chain management.
• Explain how important commerce and logistics are in today’s global economy.
• Study defense logistical strategy and plans.
• Explain how third-party logistics help businesses save costs.
• Explain how to enhance the efficiency of logistics using wireless communication.
• Take a look at international regulations for commercial logistics services.
• Evaluate the feasibility of entangled supply networks using IoT.
• Explain the collaboration between the government and logistics companies.
• Discuss the role of third-party logistics in the e-commerce industry.
• Compare traditional logistics and reverse logistics.
• Explain how to use IoT in the 3PL/4PL Industry.
• Describe the origin of the term ‘Business Logistics’ in an increasingly globalized supply chain.
• Examine the correlation between reverse logistics and sustainability performance.
• Explain how to reduce costs in the supply chain for automobile exports and imports in China.

Unique Logistics Research Topics

• Conduct a theoretical examination of the concept of a control tower in logistics from a future perspective.
• Write about the potential future applications of ERP in logistics management.
• Examine the application of quality management principles to the procurement and logistics functions of mobile shops in the UK.
• Discuss the role of relationship development managers in managing the supply chain network.
• Consider how Corporate Social Responsibility fosters socially responsible supplier chains.
• Examine the effects of mobility solutions on logistics.
• Look at food logistics and supply chain management in any country.
• Investigate and write about Metropolitan Logistics.
• Explain ways to enhance healthcare logistics performance.
• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of logistics for low-cost country sourcing.

Top Logistics Research Ideas

• Explain the value of implementing logistics and SCM ideas and concepts.
• Investigate how the evolution of logistics and SCM affects strategic differentiation and operational effectiveness.
• Write about IoT’s applications in logistics.
• Examine the procurement management of specialized projects in the commercial construction industry.
• Explain the influence of IT advancements on third- and fourth-party logistics systems.
• Discuss the application of robotics in logistics
• Explore the modern technology utilized in warehouses.
• Explore the application of AI and Machine Learning in Logistics
• Examine the benefits and drawbacks of warehouse robots.
• Study the evolution of the Global Logistics Industry from 1900 to 2022.
• Explain the role of information management in addressing logistics and supply chain issues.
• Describe the link between SCM and procurement.
• What impact do incoming and outbound logistics have on the supplier-consumer relationship?
• What role does technology play in improving multinational corporations’ logistics and supply chain management ?
• Examine the practical implementation approaches for green sustainable buying strategies.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management Dissertation Topics

• Explore the different logistics operations of manufacturing companies.
• Examine the effect of procurement logistics on the sales of FMCG manufacturing companies.
• Explore the role of supply chain management in business outsourcing.
• Examine the implementation of Green Supply Chain Management Practices.
• Assess the role of technology in modern supply chain systems.
• Explain how to use E-logistics in Supply Chain Operations.
• Explain how independent UK pharmaceutical merchants maximize logistical value.
• Analyze the reasons why shippers seek new alternatives to parcel carrier service.
• Explain how UK businesses handle customer services through third-party networks.
• Examine the effects of e-commerce growth on the global logistics industry.
• Explore the challenges and interventions in the logistics and supply chain management sector.
• Research the logistics and supply chain workflows using RFID and bar code databases.
• Analyze the trends and challenges in logistics and supply chain management.
• Take a look at the supply chain disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Discuss the most recent supply chain innovations and their benefits

Amazing Research Topics on Logistics and SCM

• Explore machine learning approaches in supply chain management.
• Evaluate cost-cutting techniques for supply chain management (SCM) for export and import.
• Identify the reasons for using emergency logistics services.
• Assess variables impacting the implementation of an effective supply management system.
• Evaluate the supply chain risk management skills.
• Investigate how logistics and SCM might address new issues and complications.
• Evaluate the impact of packaging on fragrance exporters in the UK.
• Explore the advantages and disadvantages of Industry 4.0 in logistics and SCM.
• Describe ways to assess and reduce the environmental impact of logistics activities.
• Discuss reverse logistics options for end-of-life products.

Logistics Management Research Topics

• Compare the sustainable logistics management practices between emerging and developed countries.
• Explain how small family businesses in the UK handle logistics management.
• Compare the implementation of sustainable logistics management practices between developed countries.
• Identify effective solutions to mitigate risks in logistics management.
• Evaluate logistics management principles in practical settings.
• Examine how logistics management helps streamline reorders for clothing businesses in the UK.
• Analyze how the logistics and supply chain functions have changed in the 21st century.
• Investigate the effect of logistics functions on an organization’s financial performance.
• Examine how logistics and supply chain management contribute to the success of multinational corporations.
• Evaluate how logistics and SCM may help SMEs grow.
• Understand the significance of value chain strategy in logistics and supply chain management.
• Analyze how changes in demand and supply affect logistics functions and costs.
• Examine how IT innovation affects logistics and SCM efficiency.
• Assess innovative logistics and supply chain strategies.
• Understand the significance of IT in managing logistics and supply chains.

Wrapping Up

From the list recommended above, pick any research topic that you are interested in and begin working on your logistics dissertation. In case, you need any other original logistics research ideas or if you need expert help with logistics research paper writing or proofreading, call us immediately.

On our platform, we have well-qualified academic writers to provide cheap and best logistics research paper help online . Especially, according to the requirements you send us, our professionals will guide you in creating a plagiarism-free logistics research paper deserving of an A+ grade. The paper that our scholars dispatch would contain the necessary evidence to prove your thesis statement. Moreover, by getting our logistics assignment help , you may wind up your logistics dissertation accurately before the deadline and update your subject knowledge.

Related Post

100 Amazing Physics Research Topics and Ideas

100 Excellent Psychology Research Topics and Ideas

100 Innovative Marketing Research Topics and Ideas

About author.

Jacob Smith

Jacob Smith guides students with writing research paper topics and theses at greatassignmenthelp.com. Read about the author from this page

https://www.greatassignmenthelp.com/

Comments are closed.

• Featured Posts

200 Impressive Business Essay Topics

175 unique bioethics topics to consider for academic paper, apa vs. mla: know the major differences between the citation styles, top 155 java project ideas for beginners and experts, know how to stay focused on homework, 125 captivating geography research topics, 160 trending group discussion topics and ideas, 120 best graph theory project ideas, 10 reasons why marketing is important for business, get help instantly.

Raise Your Grades with Great Assignment Help

• [email protected]

Home » Blog » Dissertation » Topics » Supply Chain Management » 80 Supply Chain Management Research Topics

80 Supply Chain Management Research Topics

FacebookXEmailWhatsAppRedditPinterestLinkedInIf you’re a student embarking on the exciting journey of dissertation research in the field of supply chain management, you’ve come to the right place. Our comprehensive list of research topics in supply chain management is designed to help you find the perfect topic for your dissertation. Supply chain management is a vibrant and evolving […]

If you’re a student embarking on the exciting journey of dissertation research in the field of supply chain management, you’ve come to the right place. Our comprehensive list of research topics in supply chain management is designed to help you find the perfect topic for your dissertation.

Supply chain management is a vibrant and evolving discipline that plays a crucial role in today’s globalized business landscape. With the rapid advancements in technology, globalization, and sustainability practices, there is a plethora of intriguing research opportunities waiting to be explored. From exploring emerging technologies and sustainability practices to addressing challenges in logistics, procurement, and risk management, these topics provide a solid foundation for in-depth research and contribute to the advancement of supply chain management knowledge.

In this post, we have curated a diverse selection of thought-provoking supply chain management topics to inspire and guide you on your academic journey. Whether you’re pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree, or looking for a supply chain management topic to write your research proposal, dissertation, thesis or research paper, our post will assist you in discovering compelling research ideas that align with your interests and contribute to the ever-evolving field of supply chain management.

Related Posts:

• Procurement and Supply Chain Management Topics
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management Topics

A List Of Potential Research Topics In Supply Chain Management:

• Evaluating the benefits and challenges of robotic process automation (RPA) in supply chain operations.
• Assessing the implications of trade agreements and tariffs on the UK global supply chain networks.
• Strategies for managing supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on supply chain optimization.
• The role of sustainability certifications in supplier selection and management.
• The influence of customer behavior and preferences on supply chain design and operations.
• How has the pandemic influenced supply chain collaboration and information sharing among partners?
• Assessing the effectiveness of vendor-managed inventory (VMI) in improving supply chain efficiency.
• Assessing the impact of ethical sourcing practices on consumer perceptions and behavior in the UK.
• Evaluating the use of green procurement practices in sustainable supply chain management.
• Assessing the role of cloud computing in supply chain collaboration and information sharing.
• Implementing blockchain technology for secure and transparent supplier payments.
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted global supply chain resilience and risk management strategies?
• Analyzing the benefits and challenges of implementing a demand-driven supply chain strategy.
• Strategies for reducing food waste and improving sustainability in the food supply chain.
• The influence of sustainability reporting on stakeholder perceptions and supply chain performance.
• Supply chain resilience in the face of geopolitical uncertainties and trade policy changes.
• What are the implications of changing customer expectations and the rise of omnichannel retailing on supply chain operations post-COVID?
• The influence of social media on demand forecasting accuracy in supply chain management.
• How has the pandemic accelerated the adoption of e-commerce and transformed last-mile delivery in supply chains?
• Exploring the integration of circular economy principles in the UK supply chain.
• Evaluating the use of drones for last-mile delivery and inventory management.
• The role of predictive maintenance in reducing downtime and improving equipment reliability in supply chains.
• Investigating the influence of supply chain collaboration on UK food waste reduction efforts.
• What are the long-term effects of COVID-19 on supply chain networks and logistics operations?
• Assessing the impact of trade tariffs and trade wars on global supply chains.
• Enhancing supply chain visibility through real-time tracking technologies.
• Exploring the implications of omnichannel retailing on UK supply chain management.
• What strategies and technologies can be employed to ensure supply chain traceability and transparency post-COVID?
• Analyzing the impact of supplier diversity programs on supply chain inclusivity in the UK.
• Analyzing the role of risk management strategies in mitigating supply chain disruptions in the UK.
• Investigating the adoption and impact of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the UK supply chain.
• Assessing the influence of global sourcing strategies on UK supply chain resilience.
• What are the key factors influencing supply chain decision-making and risk assessment in the post-COVID business environment?
• What are the key lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis and how can they be applied to strengthen supply chain resilience?
• How can supply chain disruptions caused by border closures and travel restrictions be minimized in the future?
• How can supply chains integrate sustainability practices and circular economy principles to build back better after the pandemic?
• The role of big data analytics in improving supply chain visibility and decision-making.
• Assessing the role of logistics clusters in promoting regional economic development in the UK.
• Analyzing the role of social responsibility in UK supply chain sustainability practices.
• Investigating the impact of sustainability initiatives on supply chain performance in the UK manufacturing industry.
• Investigating the implementation and impact of lean management principles in the UK healthcare supply chain.
• Evaluating the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for real-time inventory tracking.
• Exploring the role of government regulations and policies in shaping sustainable supply chain practices in the UK.
• Assessing the adoption and impact of green logistics practices in the UK transportation sector.
• Assessing the impact of trade agreements on supply chain configurations and sourcing decisions.
• How can supply chains mitigate the impact of trade policy changes and geopolitical tensions post-COVID?
• Analyzing the role of supply chain analytics in improving demand forecasting accuracy in the UK.
• Strategies for managing supply chain disruptions in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Implementing collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) practices in supply chains.
• How can supply chains address the growing concerns around product safety and hygiene in the post-pandemic era?
• Sustainable transportation strategies for reducing carbon footprint in supply chains.
• Assessing the effectiveness of lean supply chain practices in reducing waste and improving efficiency.
• Exploring the implications of just-in-time (JIT) inventory management in the UK automotive industry.
• The role of social network analysis in understanding and improving supply chain relationships.
• What are the implications of remote work and digital collaboration tools on supply chain management post-COVID?
• What role can predictive analytics and demand forecasting play in post-COVID supply chain planning and optimization?
• Exploring the challenges and opportunities of implementing blockchain technology in the UK supply chain.
• Analyzing the role of sustainable packaging solutions in reducing environmental impact in the UK supply chain.
• Optimizing inventory management using predictive analytics and demand sensing techniques.
• The impact of labor rights and working conditions on supply chain reputation and brand image.
• What strategies can be implemented to ensure supply chain continuity and minimize disruption risks in the face of future pandemics?
• How can supply chains optimize inventory management and reduce excess stock in the wake of COVID-19?
• Investigating the challenges and opportunities of reverse logistics in the UK retail sector.
• The role of social media influencers in shaping consumer behavior and supply chain dynamics.
• The impact of globalization on supply chain risk management strategies.
• The influence of environmental regulations on supply chain sustainability practices.
• Evaluating the use of blockchain-based smart contracts for supply chain transactions.
• Exploring the adoption and impact of automation and robotics in UK warehouse operations.
• Analyzing the benefits and challenges of reshoring manufacturing operations in supply chains.
• Analyzing the effects of e-commerce growth on last-mile delivery and urban logistics.
• Resilient supply chain management practices in the face of natural disasters and extreme weather events.
• What are the emerging trends and best practices in supply chain sustainability and resilience in the aftermath of the pandemic?
• How can supply chains adapt to the changing consumer behavior and preferences post-COVID?
• The role of blockchain technology in enhancing supply chain transparency and traceability.
• The impact of additive manufacturing (3D printing) on supply chain networks.
• Evaluating the adoption of autonomous vehicles in supply chain logistics.
• Assessing the effectiveness of omnichannel distribution strategies in meeting customer expectations.
• What are the key challenges and opportunities for supply chain digitization and automation in the post-COVID era?
• How can supply chains enhance agility and flexibility to respond to future disruptions and uncertainties?

In conclusion, we have provided a wide range of compelling supply chain management topics that cater to students at different degree levels embarking on their dissertation research. Whether you are pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree, our comprehensive list of topics offers a diverse selection to spark your curiosity and align with your academic and career aspirations.

Remember to select a topic that resonates with your interests and leverage the available resources to delve into relevant literature, empirical studies, and case analyses. With dedication, critical thinking, and a passion for the subject, your dissertation research in supply chain management can make a significant contribution to the field and propel your career in this dynamic and rewarding discipline.

Order Your Supply Chain Management Dissertation Now!

External Links:

• Download the supply chain management dissertation sample for your perusal

Research Topic Help Service

Get unique research topics exactly as per your requirements. We will send you a mini proposal on the chosen topic which includes;

• Research Statement
• Research Questions
• Key Literature Highlights
• Proposed Methodology
• View a Sample of Service

Ensure Your Good Grades With Our Writing Help

• Talk to the assigned writer before payment
• Get topic if you don't have one
• Multiple draft submissions to have supervisor's feedback
• Free revisions
• Complete privacy
• Plagiarism Free work
• Guaranteed 2:1 (With help of your supervisor's feedback)
• 2 Installments plan
• Special discounts

Other Posts

• 80 Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research Topics June 8, 2023 -->
• 80 Procurement and Supply Chain Management Research Topics June 8, 2023 -->

WhatsApp us

Theses - Supply Chain 2020 Project

Back to the main SC2020 page

Since its launch in 2004, a large number of masters theses, as well as a few doctoral theses, have been conducted as part of the SC2020 Project, in centers from the SCALE Network. An exhaustive list of these theses, as well as links to access them, are presented here.

Doctoral Theses at MIT

Title:  Effect of scenario planning on field experts' judgment of long-range investment decisions . Author: Phadnis, Shardul. Advisors: Yossi Sheffi, Chris Caplice and Mahender Singh. Year: 2012. Program: Doctoral Thesis, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI:  http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96020

Title: A methodology to capture, evaluate and reformulate a firm's supply chain strategy as a conceptual system . Author: Roberto Perez-Franco. Advisors: Yossi Sheffi and Mahender Singh. Year: 2010. Program: Doctoral Thesis, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62761

Title: Dynamic Retail Assortment Models with Demand Learning for Seasonal Consumer Goods . Author: Felipe Caro. Advisor: Jérémie Gallien. Year: 2005. Program: Doctoral Thesis, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33415

Master Theses at MIT

Title: A Qualitative Mapping and Evaluation of an Aerospace Supply Chain Strategy . Author: Jonathan Hung and Nicholas Pierce. Advisor: Roberto Perez-Franco. Year: 2011. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URL: CTL Publication Link

Title: Redefining organizational boundaries : building an aware and agile organization by enabling new social interactions . Author: Benjamin Maupetit. Advisor: Mahender Singh. Year: 2009. Program: S.M. in Technology and Policy Program, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/52754

Title: Evolutionary supply chain risk management: transforming culture for sustainable competitive advantage . Author: Romain Lévy. Advisor: Mahender Singh. Year: 2008. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics and S.M. in Technology and Policy Program, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42928

Title: Exploring the future of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry : a supply chain perspective . Author: Loïc Lagarde. Advisor: Yossi Sheffi and Mahender Singh. Year: 2007. Program: S.M. in Technology and Policy Program, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40294

Title: The Supply Chain Response to Environmental Pressures . Author: Julie Rebecca Paquette. Advisor: Randolph E. Kirchain. Year: 2006. Program: S.M. in Technology and Policy Program, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34530

Title: Demand Management: A Cross-Industry Analysis of Supply-Demand Planning . Author: Peng Kuan Tan. Advisor: Lawrence Lapide. Year: 2006. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36139

Title: Order Promising/Fulfillment and Customer/Channel Collaboration in Supply Chain Management . Author: Yimin An and Samuel Srethapakdi. Advisor: Mahender Singh. Year: 2006. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36148

Title: Analysis of Sourcing & Procurment Practices: A Cross Industry Framework . Author: Ioannis G. Koliousis. Advisor: Edgar Blanco. Year: 2006. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36143

Title: Analysis of Supplier Involvement in New Product Development and Launch . Author: Herman Alex Kurapov. Advisor: Chris Caplice. Year: 2006. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35614

Title: A Cross Industry Analysis and Framework of Aftermarket Products and Services . Author: Petros Englezos. Advisor: Lawrence Lapide. Year: 2006. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35539

Title: An Examination of Boeing’s Supply Chain Management Practices within the Context of the Global Aerospace Industry . Author: Daglar Cizmeic. Advisor: Kirkor Bozdogan. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33315

Title: An Exploration of of Supply Chain Management Practices in the Aerospace Industry and in Rolls-Royce . Author: Mohit Tiwari. Advisor: Kirkor Bozdogan. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33373

Title: Supply Chain Strategies in the Apparel Industry: The Case of Victoria’s Secret . Author: Sumit Kumar. Advisors: Sharon Novak and Lawrence Lapide. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33324

Title: The Dynamics of Supply Chains in the Automotive Industry . Author: Niklas Braese. Advisor: Lawrence Lapide. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33312

Title: The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: A Diagnosis of the State-of-the-Art . Author: Mahender Singh. Advisor: Charles H. Fine. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33354

Title: Supply chain practices in the petroleum downstream . Author: Santos Manzano, Fidel. Advisor: Lawrence Lapide. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33345

Title: An analysis of current supply chain best practices in the retail industry with case studies of Wal-Mart and Amazon.com . Author: Chiles, Colby Ronald; Dau, Marguarette Thi. Advisor: Gabriel R. Bitran. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33314

Title: Framework for the study of governance in the supply networks : Wal-mart : "Enlightened Despot" model . Author: De Graeve, Denis. Advisor: Gabriel R. Bitran. Year: 2004. Program: S.M. Technology and Policy Program, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28504

Title: An Evaluation of Scenario Planning for Supply Chain Design . Author: Yishai Boasson. Advisor: Yossi Sheffi. Year: 2004. Program: M. Eng. in Logistics, Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/28504

Master Theses at ZLC

Title: Analysis of Supply Chains in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry . Author: Marc-Elliott Finkelstein. Advisor: Paul M. Thompson. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link:  Download .

Title: Supply Chain Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Novartis– A Case Study . Author: Gourav Narayan Mukherjee. Advisor: Prashant Yadav. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link:  Download .

Title: Excellent Supply Chains In The Oil Industry: Royal Dutch/Shell . Author: Stefan Röthlisberger. Advisor: Prashant Yadav. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link:  Download .

Title: Supply Chain Excellence in the Retail Industry: METRO AG – A Case Study . Author: Manuela Schranz-Whitaker. Advisor: Paul M. Thompson. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link: Download .

Title: SC2020: Toyota Production System & Supply Chain.  Author: Macharia Brown. Advisor: Prashant Yadav. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link:  Download .

Title:  Excellence In European Apparel Supply Chains: Zara.  Author: Phyllis Chu. Advisor: Paul Thompson. Year: 2005. Program: M. Eng. in Supply Chain Management and Logistics, MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program, Zaragoza Logistics Center. Link:  Download .

Areas of Research

• Students & Placements
• (517) 355-2241
• [email protected]

Students in the logistics doctoral program at Broad work closely with faculty from the onset of their program to ensure the best preparation for academic life – including working on supply chain management research projects that eventually lead to publications in top-tier academic journals. The program links the traditional areas of logistics research and development with faculty expertise in the areas of demand management and forecasting, logistics operations and modeling, logistics strategy and relationship management. Both empirical and analytical methods are examined in the program to provide students with the skill sets necessary to succeed in their chosen stream of research.

Publications

Below are selected publications by faculty who work in the logistics doctoral program.

Stanley E. Griffis

2016 Curt B. Moore, G. Tyge Payne, Chad W. Autry,  Stanley E. Griffis . (2016) “Project Complexity and Bonding Social Capital in Network Organizations.” Group & Organization Management . May, 1-35. 2015 Bell, John E. Autry, Chad W.,  Griffis, Stanley E.,  (2015) “Supply Chain Interdiction as a Competitive Weapon.” Transportation Journal . 54(1), 89-103. 2014 Griffis, Stanley E.,  Autry, Chad W., Thornton, LaDonna M., ben Brik, Anis (2014) “Assessing Antecedents of Socially Responsible Supplier Selection in Three Global Supply Chain Contexts.” Decision Sciences . 45(6), 1187-1215. Melnyk, Steven, Zobel, Christopher W., Macdonald, John,  Griffis, Stanley E.  (2014) “Making Sense of Transient Responses in Simulation Studies.” International Journal of Production Research . 52(3), 617-632, 2013 Whipple, Judith M., Griffis,  Stanley E.,  and Daugherty, Patricia J. (2013) “Conceptualizations of Trust: Can We Trust Them?”  Journal of Business Logistics . 34(2), 117-130 . Fleming, Christopher L.,  Griffis, Stanley E ., Bell, John E. (2013) “The Effects of Triangle Inequality on the Vehicle Routing Problem.”  European Journal of Operations Research . 224(1):1-7. 2012 Griffis, Stanley E ., Rao, Shashank, Goldsby, Thomas J., Voorhees, Clay M., Iyengar, Deepak, (2012) “Linking Order Fulfillment Performance to Referrals in Online Retailing: An Empirical Analysis.”  Journal of Business Logistics . 33(4), 278-292. Griffis, Stanley E ., Whipple, Judith, M., (2012) “A Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Evaluation Model: Proposing a Risk Priority Continuum.”  Transportation Journal . 51 (4), 428-451. Porterfield, Tobin E., Macdonald, John R.,  Griffis, Stanley E ., (2012) “An Exploration of the Relational Effects of Supply Chain Disruptions.”  Transportation Journal . 51 (4), 399-427. Griffis, Stanley E ., Bell, John E., Closs, David J., (2012) “Metaheuristics in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  33(2), 90-105. Griffis, Stanley E ., Rao, Shashank, Goldsby, Thomas J., Niranjan, Tarikere T., (2012) “The Customer Consequences of Returns in Online Retailing: An Empirical Analysis.”  Journal of Operations Management . 30 (4), 282-294. 2011 Rao, Shashank, Griffis, Stanley E., Goldsby, Thomas J. (2011) “Failure to Deliver?  Linking Online Order Fulfillment Glitches with Future Purchase Behavior.”  Journal of Operations Management . 29 (7-8), pp 693-703. Rao, Shashank, Goldsby, Thomas J., Griffis, Stanley E., Iyengar, Deepak (2011) “Electronic Logistics Service Quality (e-LSQ):  Its Impact on the Customer’s Purchase Satisfaction and Retention.”  Journal of Business Logistics . 32 (2), pp. 167-179. Payne, G. Tyge, Moore, Curt B.,  Griffis, Stanley E ., Autry, Chad W. (2011) “Multilevel Challenges and Opportunities in Social Capital Research.”  Journal of Management . 37 (2), 491-520. Wilcox, William, Horvath, Philip A.,  Griffis, Stanley E. , Autry, Chad W. (2011) “A Markov Model of Liquidity Effects in Reverse Logistics Processes: The Effects of Random Volume and Passage.”  International Journal of Production Economics . 129 (1), 86-101. Bell, John E.,  Griffis, Stanley E . Cunningham, William J., Eberlan, Jon (2011) “Location Optimization of Strategic Alert Sites for Homeland Defense.”  Omega, The International Journal of Management Science.  39 (2), 151-158. 2010 Bell, John E and  Stanley E. Griffis  (2010), “Swarm Intelligence: Application of the Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm to Logistics-Oriented Vehicle Routing Problems.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  31 (2), 157-175. 2008 Autry, Chad W.,  Stanley E. Griffis  (2008), “Supply Chain Capital: The Impact of Structural and Relational Linkages on Firm Execution and Innovation.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  29 (1), 157-173. 2007 Griffis, Stanley E ., Thomas J. Goldsby, Martha C. Cooper, and David J. Closs (2007), “Aligning Logistics Performance Measures to the Information Needs of the Firm.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  28 (2), 35-56. 2006 Goldsby, Thomas J.,  Stanley E. Griffis  and Anthony S. Roath (2006), “Modeling Lean, Agile, and Leagile Supply Chain Strategies.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  27 (1), 57-80.  Winner – The Bernard J. LaLonde Award for Best Paper in JBL 2006. 2005 Autry, Chad W., and  Stanley E. Griffis  (2005), “A Social Anthropology of Logistics Research: Exploring Productivity and Collaboration in an Emerging Science.”  Transportation Journal.  44 (4), 27-43. Autry, Chad W.,  Stanley E. Griffis , Thomas J. Goldsby, L. Michelle Bobbitt (2005), “Warehouse Management Systems: An Initial Assessment, Empirical Analysis and Research Agenda.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  26 (2), 165-183. 2004 Griffis, Stanley , Martha C. Cooper, Thomas J. Goldsby and David J. Closs (2004), “Performance Measurement: Measure Selection Based Upon Firm Goals and Information Reporting Needs.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  25 (2), 95-118. 2003 Griffis, Stanley E ., Thomas J. Goldsby, and Martha C. Cooper (2003), “Web-Based and Mail Surveys: A Comparison of Response, Data and Cost.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  24 (2), 237-258.

Stanley Lim

2022 Lim, S.F.W.T., Richards, T.J., Rabinovich, E. and Choi, M. 2022. Scan based trading and bargaining equilibrium: A structural estimation of supply chain profit. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, forthcoming. 2021 Lim, S.F.W.T., Gao, F. and Tan, T.F. 2021. Slow and steady, or fast and furious? An empirical study about omnichannel demand sensitivity to fulfillment lead time. Management Science (Major revision). Lim, S.F.W.T., Rabinovich, E., Lee, S. and Park, S. 2021. Estimating stockout costs and optimal stockout rates to improve the management of ugly produce inventory. Management Science (Major revision). Lim, S.F.W.T., Rabinovich, E., Park, S. and Hwang, M. 2021. Shopping activity at warehouse club stores and its competitive and network density implications. Production and Operations Management, 30(1): 28-46. 2019 Lim, S.F.W.T. and Winkenbach, M. 2019. Configuring the last-mile in business-to-consumer e-retailing. California Management Review, 61(2): 132-154.

Jason W. Miller

2017 Miller, J. W . 2017. “Discrete Time Hazard Modeling of Large Motor Carriers’ Longitudinal CSA Performance.” Transportation Journal . Forthcoming. Miller, J. W . 2017. “A Multivariate Time Series Analysis of Motor Carrier Safety Behaviors.”  Journal of Business Logistics. Miller, J. W.  & Saldanha, J. P. 2017. “Do New Entrants Become Safer over Time?”  Transportation Journal. Miller, J. W ., Saldanha, J. P., Rungtusanatham, M., & Knemeyer, A. M. 2017. “How Does Driver Turnover Affect Motor Carrier Safety Performance and What Can Managers Do About It?”  Journal of Business Logistics. Miller, J. W ., Golicic, S., & Fugate, B. 2017. “Developing and Testing a Dynamic Theory of Motor Carrier Safety?”  Journal of Business Logistics.  In Press. Davis-Sramek, B., Fugate, B. S,  Miller, J. W , Germain, R., Izyumov, A., & Krotov, K. 2017. “Understanding the Present by Examining the Past: Imprinting Effects on Supply Chain Outsourcing in a Transition Economy.”  Journal of Supply Chain Management.  53(1): 65–86. 2016 Miller, J. W ., Fugate, B., & Golicic, S. 2016. “How Organizations Respond to Information Disclosure: Testing Alternative Longitudinal Performance Trajectories.” Academy of Management Journal . In Press. Miller, J. W ., & Saldanha, J. P. 2016. “A New Look at the Relationship between Financial Performance and Safety: A Longitudinal Growth Perspective.” Journal of Business Logistics 37(3): 284–306. Schwieterman, M. A.,  Miller, J. W . 2016. “Factor Market Rivalry: Towards an Integrated Understanding of Firm Action.” Transportation Journal . 55(2): 97–123. 2015 Mellat-Parast, M., Golmohammadi, D., McFadden, K.,  Miller, J. W . 2015. “Linking Business Strategy to Service Failures and Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from the U.S. Domestic Airline Industry.” Journal of Operations Management . 38(1): 14–24. Stromeyer, W. R.,  Miller, J. W ., Murthy, R., & DeMartino, R. 2015. “The Prowess and Pitfalls of Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling: Important Considerations for Management Research.” Journal of Management . 41(2): 491–520. 2014 Rungtusanatham, M.,  Miller, J. W ., & Boyer, K. K. 2014. “Theorizing, Testing and Concluding for Mediation in SCM Research: What to Do, What Not to Do.”  Journal of Operations Management.  32(3): 99–113. Saldanha, J. P.,  Miller, J. W ., Hunt, C. S. & Mello, J. E. 2014. “Linking Formal Controls to Motor Carrier Performance: Curvilinear and Interaction Effects.”  Transportation Research Part E . 64(1): 28–47. Fawcett, S. E., Waller, M. A.,  Miller, J. W ., Schwieterman, M. A., Hazen, B. T., & Overstreet, R. E. 2014. “Editorial: A Trail Guide to Publishing Success: Tips on Writing Influential Conceptual, Qualitative and Survey Research.”  Journal of Business Logistics . 35(1): 1–16. 2013 Miller, J. W ., Saldanha, J. P., Hunt, S., & Mello, J. E. 2013. “Combining Formal Controls to Improve Firm Performance.”  Journal of Business Logistics . 34(4): 301–318.. Miller, J. W ., Stromeyer, W. R., & Schwieterman, M. A. 2013. “Extensions of the Johnson-Neyman Technique to Linear Models with Curvilinear Effects: Derivations and Analytical Tools.”  Multivariate Behavioral Research . 48(2): 267-300. Goldsby, T. J., Knemeyer, A. M.,  Miller, J. W ., & Wallenburg, C. M. 2013. “Measurement and Moderation: Finding the Boundary Conditions in Logistics and Supply Chain Research.” Journal of Business Logistics . 34(2): 109–116.

Judith M. Whipple

2016 Roh, Joseph, Virpi Turkulainen,  Judith M. Whipple , and Morgan Swink (forthcoming), “Understanding the Organizational Change Process for Supply Chain Management Organizations.”  International Journal of Logistics Management. 2015 Whipple, Judith M ., Robert Wiedmer, and Kenneth K. Boyer (2015), “A Dyadic Investigation of Collaborative Competence, Social Capital and Performance in Buyer-Supplier Relationships.”  Journal of Supply Chain Management.  51(2): 3-21 . 2013 Whipple, Judith M ., Stanley Griffis, and Patricia J. Daugherty (2013), “Conceptualizations of Trust: Can We Trust Them?”  Journal of Business Logistics.  34:2, 117-130. Roh, Joseph, Judith M. Whipple , Kenneth K. Boyer (2013), “The Effect of Single Rater Bias in Multi-Stakeholder Research: A Methodological Evaluation of Buyer-Supplier Relationships.”  Production and Operations Management Journal.  22:3, 711-725 . 2012 Griffis, Stanley and  Judith M. Whipple  (2012), “A Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Evaluation Model: Proposing a Risk Priority Continuum.”  Transportation Journal.  51:4, 428-451 . 2011 Nyaga, Gilbert and  Judith M. Whipple  (2011), “Relationship Quality and Performance Outcomes: Achieving a Competitive Advantage.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  32:4, 345-360. Speier, Cheri,  Judith M. Whipple , David J. Closs and M. Douglas Voss (2011), “Global Supply Chain Design Considerations: Mitigating Product Safety and Security Risks.”  Journal of Operations Management.  29:7-8, 721-736.  Winner, JOM Jack Meredith Best Paper of the Year Award and Stan Hardy Award. Allaway, Arthur W., Patricia Huddleston,  Judith M. Whipple , and Alexander E. Ellinger (2011), “Customer-Based Brand Equity, Equity Drivers and Customer Loyalty in the Supermarket Industry.”  The Journal of Product and Brand Management.  20:3, 190-204. 2010 Whipple, Judith M.  and Joseph Roh (2010), “Quality Fade and Agency Theory in Buyer-Supplier Relationships.”  The International Journal of Logistics Management.  21:3, 338-352. Richey, R. Glenn, Anthony S. Roath,  Judith M. Whipple , and Stanley E. Fawcett (2010), “Exploring a Governance Theory of Supply Chain Management: Barriers and Facilitators to Integration.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  31:1, 237-256 .  Bernard J. La Londe Best Paper Award in the Journal – 2010. Nyaga, Gilbert N., Judith M. Whipple , and Daniel F. Lynch (2010), “Examining Supply Chain Relationships: Do Buyer and Supplier Perspectives on Collaborative Relationships Differ?”  Journal of Operations Management.  28:2, 101-114.   Finalist, JOM Jack Meredith Best Paper of the Year Award based on 5-year impact. Whipple, Judith M.,  Daniel F. Lynch, and Gilbert N. Nyaga (2010), “A Buyer’s Perspective on Collaborative Versus Transactional Relationships.”  Industrial Marketing Management.  39:3, 507-518 . 2009 Voss, M. Douglas, Judith M. Whipple , and David J. Closs (2009), “The Role of Strategic Security: Internal and External Security Measures with Security Performance Implications.”  Transportation Journal.  48:2, 5-23 . Whipple, Judith M., M. Douglas Voss, and David J. Closs (2009), “Supply Chain Security Practices in the Food Industry: Do Firms Operating Domestically and Globally Differ?”  International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management.  39:7, 574-594. Huddleston, Patricia,  Judith M. Whipple , Rachel Nye Mattick, and So Jung Lee (2009), “Customer Satisfaction in Food Retailing: Comparing Specialty and Conventional Grocery Stores.”  International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management.  37:1, 63-80. 2007 Jones, Kraig, Kellie Curry Raper,  Judith M. Whipple , Diane Mollenkopf, and H. Christopher Peterson (2007), “Commodity-Procurement Strategies of Food Companies: A Case Study.”  Journal of Food Distribution Research.  XXXVIII:3, 37-53 . Whipple, Judith M.  and Dawn Russell (2007) “Building Supply Chain Collaboration: A Typology of Collaborative Relationship Strategies.”  The International Journal of Logistics Management.  18:2, 174-196. 2004 Sabath, Robert and  Judith M. Whipple  (2004), “Using the Customer/Product Action Matrix.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  25:2, 1-19.   Bernard J. La Londe Best Paper Award in the Journal – 2005. Huddleston, Patricia,  Judith Whipple , and Amy VanAuken (2004), “Food Store Loyalty: Application of a Consumer Loyalty Framework.”  Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing.  12:3, 213-230. 2002 Whipple, Judith M ., Robert Frankel, and Patricia J. Daugherty (2002), “Information Support for Alliances: Performance Implications.”  Journal of Business Logistics.  23:2, 67-82. Frankel, Robert, Thomas J. Goldsby, and  Judith M. Whipple  (2002), “Grocery Industry Collaboration in the Wake of ECR.”  International Journal of Logistics Management.  13:1, 57-72.  Accenture Award for Best Paper in the Journal – 2002. Anselmi, Kenneth, Robert Frankel, and  Judith Schmitz Whipple  (2002), “Performance in Product Versus Service Supplier Relationships.”  Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.  9:1, 27-43. 2000 Whipple, Judith M.  and Robert Frankel (2000), “Strategic Alliance Success Factors: Do Both Parties Agree?”  The Journal of Supply Chain Management.  36:3 (Summer), 21-28 . Whipple, Judith Schmitz  and Julie J. Gentry (2000), “A Network Comparison of Alliance Motives and Achievements.”  Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing.  15:4/5, 301-322.

Supply Chain @ Broad

Get connected with broad:.

• Business College Complex
• 632 Bogue St
• East Lansing, MI 48824

Home » Blog » Dissertation » Topics » Supply Chain Management » Dissertation Topics In Supply Chain Management (150 Examples)

Dissertation Topics In Supply Chain Management (150 Examples)

Mark Oct 27, 2018 Dec 11, 2023 Supply Chain Management No Comments

Supply chain management is one of the research domains, which have gained a lot of attention from researchers. The dissertation topics in supply chain management are offered as it has a strong impact on the different aspects of businesses. In the modern era, supply chain management has gained a lot of attention and businesses are […]

Supply chain management is one of the research domains, which have gained a lot of attention of the researchers. The MBA dissertation topics in supply chain management are offered as it has a strong impact on the different aspects of businesses.

In the modern era, the supply chain management has gained a lot of attention and businesses are emphasizing on horizontal integration of the supply chain components. It helps in getting rid of the traditional barriers and adopting advanced methods and techniques to carry out the operations and processes.

Research topics in supply chain offer wide understanding related to the examination of different elements and components of supply chain management. The field of supply chain management is evolving rapidly, and it has attracted researchers to find out how supply chain and procurement are contributing in the business context.

We also offer separate posts related to project topics on Logistics and SCM and procurement and SCM .

A list Of Dissertation Topics in supply chain management

Following list contains supply chain management topics examples. If you want anyone of them to use, make sure you get this rephrased from us or let us assist you with a dissertation topic similar to what you have chosen.

Supply Chain Strategy:

Exploring the Impact of Digitalization on Supply Chain Strategy.

Evaluating the Resilience of Supply Chain Strategies to Global Disruptions.

Sustainable Supply Chain Strategy: Analyzing Best Practices and Metrics.

The Role of Supply Chain Flexibility in Adapting to Market Changes.

Aligning Supply Chain Strategy with Business Strategy: A Case Study Approach.

Assessing the Impact of Industry 4.0 on Supply Chain Strategy.

Risk Management in Global Supply Chain Strategies.

The Influence of Regulatory Changes on Supply Chain Strategy.

Exploring Agile Supply Chain Strategies in Dynamic Markets.

Digital Twins and their Role in Enhancing Supply Chain Strategy.

Supply Chain Planning:

Demand Forecasting Accuracy and Its Impact on Inventory Management.

Assessing the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Supply Chain Planning.

Empirical Analysis of Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Effectiveness.

Evaluating the Impact of Supply Chain Planning on Overall Business Performance.

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Agile Supply Chain Planning.

Sustainable Supply Chain Planning Practices: A Comparative Study.

Enhancing Forecasting Accuracy through Advanced Analytics in Planning.

The Role of Machine Learning in Optimizing Supply Chain Planning Processes.

Dynamic Pricing Strategies and Their Influence on Supply Chain Planning.

Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Supply Chain Planning.

Procurement and Supplier Management:

Assessing the Relationship Between Supplier Management and Firm Performance.

Blockchain Technology: Enhancing Transparency in Procurement Processes.

Comparative Analysis of Approaches to Strategic Sourcing.

Impact of Supplier Diversity Programs on Organizational Innovation.

Vendor Evaluation Models: A Critical Review and Comparative Study.

Sustainable Procurement Practices: Case Studies from Various Industries.

The Role of E-Procurement in Modern Supplier Management.

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Sustainable Procurement.

Digital Transformation in Supplier Relationship Management.

Risk Mitigation Strategies in Global Procurement.

Logistics and Distribution:

Optimizing Last-Mile Delivery Strategies for E-commerce.

Warehouse Automation: Benefits and Challenges in Logistics.

Role of Cross-Docking in Improving Supply Chain Efficiency.

Sustainability in Freight Transportation: Evaluating Green Logistics Practices.

Impact of Reverse Logistics on Sustainability and Cost-Efficiency.

Future Trends in Autonomous Vehicles and their Implications on Logistics.

Data-Driven Decision-Making in Logistics Operations.

Advanced Robotics in Warehousing: Improving Distribution Efficiency.

Blockchain in Logistics: Ensuring Security and Transparency.

Sustainable Packaging Solutions in Modern Distribution.

Inventory Management:

RFID Technology: Enhancing Inventory Accuracy and Visibility.

JIT Inventory Management: Implementation Challenges and Benefits.

Data Analytics in Optimizing Inventory Levels for Retailers.

Impact of SKU Proliferation on Inventory Holding Costs.

Blockchain Technology in Inventory Visibility: A Comparative Study.

Sustainability Practices in Inventory Control.

The Role of Predictive Analytics in Inventory Management.

Circular Economy Principles in Inventory Sustainability.

Lean Inventory Management: Streamlining Operations for Efficiency.

Environmental and Ethical Considerations in Inventory Decision-Making.

Technology in Supply Chain:

IoT and Big Data Analytics Integration in Supply Chain Decision-Making.

Cybersecurity Risks in Adopting Advanced Technologies in the Supply Chain.

Cloud-Based Supply Chain Platforms: Efficiency and Security Evaluation.

AI-Driven Predictive Analytics for Supply Chain Risk Management.

The Role of Digital Twins in Enhancing Supply Chain Visibility and Resilience.

Blockchain Applications in Supply Chain Traceability.

Machine Learning Applications in Supply Chain Optimization.

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing Industry 4.0 in Supply Chains.

Robotic Process Automation in Supply Chain Operations.

3D Printing: A Disruptive Technology in Supply Chain Management.

Supply Chain Collaboration:

CPFR Implementation: Success Factors and Challenges in Collaborative Planning.

Impact of Blockchain on Supply Chain Collaboration and Transparency.

Role of Information Sharing in Enhancing Supply Chain Collaboration.

Inter-Organizational Collaboration for Sustainable Supply Chains.

Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI): In-Depth Analysis of Implementation Models.

Collaborative Logistics in Global Supply Chain Networks.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Collaborative Planning and Forecasting.

The Influence of Supply Chain Culture on Collaboration Success.

Digital Platforms for Enhancing Supply Chain Collaboration.

Overcoming Cultural and Organizational Barriers in Collaborative Supply Chains.

Sustainability in Supply Chain:

Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategies in Global Supply Chains.

Circular Economy Practices: A Comparative Analysis in Supply Chain Management.

Sustainable Supply Chain Metrics: A Framework for Evaluation and Improvement.

Socially Responsible Supply Chain Practices and Consumer Perception.

The Role of Green Supply Chain Management in Corporate Brand Image.

Evaluating the Environmental Impact of Supply Chain Practices.

Regulatory Compliance and Ethical Practices in Sustainable Supply Chains.

Assessing the Economic Viability of Sustainable Supply Chain Practices.

Impact of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Factors on Supply Chain Performance.

Integrating Sustainable Practices in Supplier Selection and Evaluation.

Risk Management in Supply Chain:

Supply Chain Resilience: Building Strategies for Effective Risk Mitigation.

Impact of Political and Regulatory Changes on Supply Chain Risk.

Financial Risk Management in Global Supply Chains: Case Studies from Various Industries.

Integrating AI and Machine Learning in Predictive Supply Chain Risk Management.

The Role of Insurance in Supply Chain Risk Mitigation: A Comparative Study.

Cybersecurity Risks in Global Supply Chain Networks.

Strategies for Managing Supply Chain Disruptions and Uncertainties.

Predictive Analytics for Identifying and Mitigating Supply Chain Risks.

Effective Strategies for Counteracting Supply Chain Fraud.

Evaluating the Impact of Climate Change on Supply Chain Risk Management.

Quality Management in Supply Chain:

Six Sigma Practices in Supply Chain Quality Management: A Comprehensive Review.

Impact of Total Quality Management (TQM) Principles on Supply Chain Performance.

ISO Standards and Their Influence on Supply Chain Quality Management.

Continuous Improvement Initiatives in Supply Chain Quality Assurance.

Integrating Lean Principles for Efficient Quality Management in the Supply Chain.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Supplier Quality Management Programs.

Enhancing Product Quality through Collaborative Quality Control in the Supply Chain.

Implementing Industry 4.0 Technologies for Improved Supply Chain Quality.

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Measuring Supply Chain Quality.

Assessing the Impact of Quality Management Practices on Customer Satisfaction.

Humanitarian and Humanitarian Supply Chain:

Disaster Relief Logistics: Improving Coordination and Efficiency.

Humanitarian Aid Distribution: Challenges and Innovations.

The Role of Technology in Enhancing Humanitarian Supply Chains.

Public-Private Partnerships in Humanitarian Efforts: Lessons from Case Studies.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Humanitarian Supply Chain Resilience.

Sustainability Practices in Humanitarian Supply Chains.

Cross-Sector Collaboration in Humanitarian Logistics.

Technology Solutions for Real-Time Monitoring in Humanitarian Operations.

Humanitarian Supply Chain Risk Management Strategies.

Building Resilient Humanitarian Supply Chains: A Framework for Action.

Retail Supply Chain:

Omnichannel Supply Chain Management: Meeting Customer Expectations.

Retail Inventory Management: Balancing Demand and Supply.

E-commerce Logistics: Fulfillment Challenges and Solutions.

Sustainable Practices in Retail Supply Chains.

The Impact of Technology on the Future of Retail Supply Chains.

Supply Chain Transparency in the Retail Industry.

Retail Fulfillment Strategies for Fast and Accurate Deliveries.

The Role of Data Analytics in Retail Supply Chain Optimization.

Managing Seasonal Variations in Retail Supply Chains.

Blockchain Applications for Enhancing Trust in Retail Supply Chains.

Supply Chain Performance Measurement:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Effective Supply Chain Performance Measurement.

Balanced Scorecard Implementation in Supply Chain Management.

Benchmarking Supply Chain Performance: Best Practices and Challenges.

Metrics for Assessing Sustainability in Supply Chain Performance.

Real-time Monitoring and Analytics for Improved Supply Chain Performance.

The Role of Data Visualization in Supply Chain Performance Measurement.

Enhancing Decision-Making through Advanced Analytics in Supply Chain Performance.

Measuring and Managing Supply Chain Resilience.

Performance Measurement Systems in Global Supply Chains.

Continuous Improvement Strategies for Supply Chain Performance.

Regulatory Compliance and Ethical Practices:

Regulatory Compliance in Global Supply Chains: Challenges and Solutions.

Ethical Sourcing and Procurement: A Framework for Responsible Practices.

Fair Trade Practices in Supply Chains: Impact on Stakeholders.

Anti-Corruption Measures in Supply Chain Operations.

Integrating Ethical Considerations into Supply Chain Decision-Making.

Compliance with Environmental and Labor Standards in Global Supply Chains.

The Role of Transparency in Achieving Regulatory Compliance.

Social Responsibility and Accountability in Supply Chain Management.

The Influence of International Trade Agreements on Supply Chain Practices.

Assessing the Impact of Ethical Practices on Supply Chain Reputation.

Lean and Agile Supply Chains:

Lean Manufacturing Principles and Their Application in Supply Chains.

Agile Supply Chain Strategies: Adapting to Market Dynamics.

Hybrid Approaches to Lean-Agile Supply Chain Management.

Lean Six Sigma Implementation in Supply Chain Processes.

Value Stream Mapping for Identifying Waste and Improving Efficiency.

Behavioral Aspects of Lean and Agile Supply Chain Implementation.

Sustainable Practices in Lean and Agile Supply Chains.

Lean Supply Chains in the Context of Industry 4.0.

The Role of Technology in Enhancing Agility in Supply Chains.

Implementing Lean and Agile Practices for Enhanced Supply Chain Resilience.

In conclusion, the diverse dissertation topics in supply chain management cover strategic, technological, and specialized areas. Scholars can explore critical issues, from risk management to sustainability, contributing valuable insights to this dynamic field. These topics provide a foundation for focused research, enabling scholars to make meaningful contributions to the evolving landscape of global supply chains..

To examine the role of top management in supply chain management practices.

Evaluating the importance of quality management in supply chain management.

A study of factors affecting the supply chain management in multinational corporations.

An evaluation of the role of vendor selection in the context of supply chain management.

To find out how information technology is significantly affecting the supply chain management.

To find out the different factors that positively and negatively affect the supply chain management strategies.

To examine how the effective management of the supply chain can help in promoting customer satisfaction.

To study the barriers to implementing the green supply chain management in manufacturing industries.

Determining the different parameters and success factors of supply chain management.

To study the evolution of supply chain management and how technology has contributed to the evolution.

Critical evaluation of the implementation of a supply chain operating reference model in the manufacturing industry.

Studying the impact of 3PL outsourcing on the supply chain management in manufacturing companies.

Evaluating the Bullwhip effect in the supply chain.

Critical analysis of the different types of risks that influence the supply chain management.

Studying the factors that affect the supply chain decisions in the automobile industry.

Evaluating the impact of organizational culture on the strategic choices and supply chain management.

The role of procurement strategies in achieving the organizational targets.

Finding out the key factors that help in securing the supply chains.

A critical analysis of how the failure of supply chain management affect the customer satisfaction for automobiles.

Identifying the advantages of integrated supply chain practices and performance.

How does supply chain flexibility contribute to achieving the strategic outcomes.

Focusing on the impact on just in time inventory on enhancing the efficiency of the supply chain in large organizations.

Evaluating the pros and cons of outsourcing logistic operation activities in the FMCG sector.

Studying the operations management strategies of B2C and B2B business models.

Finding out the role of supply chain in large and diversified business organizations.

Studying the role of e-commerce in the supply chain management in the 21st century.

To study the influence of lean manufacturing techniques in the supply chain and operations management.

Investigating the relationship between customer satisfaction and quality management in the supply chain context.

Examining the inventory management systems and its evolution with time.

Evaluating the process of product development and its impact on supply chain management.

Topic With Mini-Proposal (Paid Service)

Along with a topic, you will also get;

• An explanation why we choose this topic.
• 2-3 research questions.
• Key literature resources identification.
• Suitable methodology with identification of raw sample size, and data collection method
• View a sample of topic consultation service

Get expert dissertation writing help to achieve good grades

• Writer consultation before payment to ensure your work is in safe hands.
• Free topic if you don't have one
• Draft submissions to check the quality of the work as per supervisor's feedback
• Free revisions
• Complete privacy
• Plagiarism Free work
• Guaranteed 2:1 (With help of your supervisor's feedback)
• 2 Instalments plan
• Special discounts

Other Posts

• Dissertation Topics In logistics And Supply Chain Management (30 Examples) December 5, 2018 -->
• Dissertation Topics in Procurement Management (26 Examples) For Research December 5, 2018 -->

Message Us On WhatsApp

Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management: a review of Nordic contributions from 2009 to 2014

• Original Paper
• Open access
• Published: 14 March 2016
• Volume 9 , article number  5 , ( 2016 )

Cite this article

You have full access to this open access article

• Christopher Rajkumar 1 ,
• Lone Kavin 1 ,
• Xue Luo 1 &
• Jan Stentoft 1  

16k Accesses

4 Citations

3 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze Nordic doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management (SCM) published from the years 2009–2014. The paper is based on a detailed review of 150 doctoral dissertations. Compared with previous studies, this paper identifies a trend toward: more dissertations based on a collection of articles than monographs; more dissertations focusing on inter-organizational SCM issues; a shift from a focal company perspective to functional aspects and supply chain-related research; and finally, a continued decreased focus on the philosophy of science. A score for measuring the significance of article-based dissertations is also proposed.

Similar content being viewed by others

Advancement of Supply Chain, Strategic Planning and Industry Innovation Based on the Fourteenth ICMSEM Proceedings

The Future of Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Changing Skill Sets and Smart Career Choices

Back in business: operations research in support of big data analytics for operations and supply chain management

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

1 Introduction

One way to keep track of the progress of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) discipline is to analyze the doctoral dissertations within the research area. By reviewing such dissertations, it will be possible to gain some interesting information regarding the development and direction of research within the discipline. Specifically, such a review will help us to understand the different approaches in relation to research framework, methodologies, theories applied and the empirical interpretations. Furthermore, the review could not only provide valuable insights into potential research gaps within the discipline, but also pave way for recognizing interesting topics for future research [ 13 , 41 ]. Besides, given that PhD students are likely to form the next generation of established researchers, research conducted by them is important to the SCM discipline as it helps keeping the discipline on track with emerging topics as well as stimulate theory generation.

The number of PhD students in the Nordic countries has increased significantly during the last decades [ 24 , 41 ]. Based on the rise in the number of dissertations as well as their varying content, it is interesting to investigate the requirements that are part of completing a PhD dissertation. There has been an escalation in dissertations that are based on collections of articles instead of a monograph [ 41 ]. A reason for this might be an increasing pressure to publish at the universities [ 21 ], which might be driving PhD students to learn and master the craft of publishing from the very start of their career. No matter what, the culture of many research departments is characterized by a high focus on performance in terms of publications in ranked journals [ 2 , 20 , 22 , 27 ]. Therefore, by choosing an article-based dissertation, PhD students might have a better opportunity to work together with other PhD students and senior researchers; in doing so, they also learn how to “play the game.”

The first two comprehensive digest of doctoral dissertations completed within the Nordic countries was conducted by Gubi et al. [ 13 ] and Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ]. These efforts provide PhD students, other academic staff as well as practitioners with an overview of what has been researched within the logistics and SCM area. These studies have also facilitated the comparison of Nordic dissertations themes to those in the USA (e.g., compiled by Stock [ 31 ] and Nakhata et al. [ 25 ]). Prior research has demonstrated that much confusion exists concerning SCM definitions and its overlap with logistics [ 32 ]. This paper extends the work of Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ] that applies what Halldórsson et al. [ 14 ] call a relabeling approach between the terms of logistics and SCM. The purpose of this paper is to document the progress of doctoral work in logistics and SCM within the Nordic countries between 2009 and 2014. In all, 120 relevant dissertations were identified; however, we were unable to retrieve eight dissertations either in physical form or electronically; therefore, only 112 dissertations were reviewed. With a point of departure within the dimensions and classified categories of these two above-mentioned reviews, this paper provides two analyses:

An analysis of identified Nordic dissertations from the year 2009–2014; and

A longitudinal analysis that compares the above analysis with the result from Gubi et al. [ 13 ] and Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ].

Accordingly, the analyses within this paper will not only reveal several important insights, but also identify new, potential research areas within the logistics and SCM discipline. Based on these insights, it will be possible to coordinate future research efforts and avoid any unnecessary replication or duplication of previous work.

The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Sect.  2 provides a brief literature review of earlier contributions dealing with doctoral dissertation reviews. Section  3 discusses the methodology used in this study; it also outlines the limitations concerning the chosen methodology. Subsequently, Sect.  4 discusses the results obtained from analyzing the Nordic dissertations. Finally, Sect.  5 concludes with the overall purpose of the paper and some directions for future research activities.

2 Extant literature on doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management

Several authors have analyzed and classified doctoral dissertations in logistics and SCM, both within the Nordic countries as well as the USA. In this section, nine prior studies—seven American studies and two Nordic studies—are briefly mentioned so as to identify the trends in topical coverage through the years and to see whether there are any similarities between the topics chosen by PhD students across the Atlantic.

The first study of compendiums of PhD research in logistics conducted by Stock back in 1987 [ 28 ] examined 684 dissertations from the period 1970–1986 [ 29 ]. Subsequent reviews were conducted in (1) 1993 covering 422 American dissertations that were completed in the period of 1987–1991 [ 34 ] and (2) 2001 with an analysis of 317 PhD dissertations completed in the period of 1992–1998 [ 31 ]. In 2006, Stock completed his fourth review of PhD dissertations together with Broadus [ 33 ]. This study showed a distinct increasing trend in the number of dissertations within SCM- and/or logistic-related areas in the period from 1999 to 2004 when compared to the period covered by the 2001 study. But surprisingly, the count between 1999 and 2004 fell short of the overall levels of 1987–1991. A more interesting finding of the 2006 study was that the dissertations were more multifaceted due to the fact that they closely mirrored the cross-functional and boundary spanning nature of logistics; at the same time, their multifaceted nature made the classification task more difficult.

Another American study was conducted by Das and Handfield [ 8 ] wherein the authors investigated 117 PhD dissertations from the period 1987–1995 in order to evaluate the intellectual health of the purchasing discipline. The study was an extension of a previous research on purchasing dissertations conducted by Williams [ 39 ] to identify the key focus areas of research in the prior decade. In this study, Williams concluded that the key focus areas covered were supplier selection and development, information systems, organizational and measurement issues, negotiation and purchasing ethics.

The most recent review covering US dissertations was conducted by Nakhata et al. [ 25 ]. In this study, the authors reviewed 609 doctoral dissertations completed between 2005 and 2009. The number of identified dissertations in this study is significantly larger than the four reviews conducted by Stock and colleagues and clearly reflects a significant increase in colleges/universities graduating doctoral students within logistics- and supply chain-related areas. Nakhata et al. [ 25 ] also point out that a forthcoming retirement of academic “baby boomers” during the period 2005–2020 may explain the increase in the PhD production. The most prominent research methodologies employed by doctoral students in the study of Nakhata et al. [ 25 ] are modeling, simulation and empirical quantitative methods.

Two earlier studies of Nordic doctoral dissertations within logistics and SCM have been disseminated in academic journals. The first was developed by Gubi et al. [ 13 ], who reviewed 71 Nordic dissertations published between 1990 and 2001. Most of the dissertations were published as monographs with manufactures and carriers as the primary entity of analysis. The most recent Nordic contribution is by Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ] wherein the authors analyze the development in Nordic doctoral research in logistics and SCM from the years 2002–2008. As opposed to Gubi et al. [ 13 ], Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ] found more dissertations based on a collection of articles, which was reflective of a response to increase publication pressure. In contrast to the Gubi et al.’s [ 13 ] study, the primarily entity of analysis of most dissertations was the manufacturing companies. While prior reviews showed a focal company perspective, the review of Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ] documented a shift toward an inter-organizational perspective covering dyadic and supply chain units of analysis. Additionally, according to Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ], there has also been a decreased focus on the philosophy of science, since most dissertations were being published as collections of articles.

The method applied for identifying, collecting and reviewing the doctoral dissertations in this paper follows a three-step process. These steps are explained in the following subsections.

3.1 Identifying and collecting Nordic doctoral dissertations

The first step consisted of sending e-mails to contact persons at different research institutions within the Nordic countries (i.e., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) as outlined in [ 41 ]. Based on this e-mail contact, the list was further modified (e.g., adding University of Vaasa in Finland and Linnaeus University and Örebro University School of Business in Sweden). The final list included 39 research institutions which are presented in “Appendix 1.” A contact person at each of the 39 research institution was identified and was contacted by e-mail. The e-mail provided a clear statement of the research project and requested the list of completed doctoral dissertations within logistics and SCM within the analysis period. This process provided an initial list of 120 dissertations. Majority of these dissertations were accessible in electronic form (we either received them by e-mail or downloaded them from the corresponding institution’s Web site). The rest of the dissertations were available in hard copy form.

3.2 Validating the initial list of doctoral dissertations

The second step was concerned with the validation of the identified dissertations by senior researchers from each of the Nordic countries. This step was completed by e-mailing the initial list to these senior researchers and by attending the 27th annual NOFOMA conference in June 2015 at Molde University College. This process resulted in the inclusion of an additional 41 dissertations, thereby increasing the total count to 161.

3.3 Reviewing the received dissertations

In the third step, a detailed review of the 161 dissertations took place. During this process, three dissertations were excluded since they were judged as not being within the scope of the present analysis. Out of this net list of 158, it was possible to conduct reviews of 150 dissertations. As mentioned earlier, we were unable to retrieve eight dissertations as well as there was no response from the authors when we e-mailed them requesting for the copy of their dissertation. A complete list of the dissertations is included in “Appendix 2.” The detailed review took place against a review framework as described in [ 13 , 41 ]. Our analysis covered additional review elements as the dissertations were mostly based on a collection of articles. These elements were: (1) number of articles, (2) type of article (journal publication, book chapter, conference paper, working paper or unpublished paper), (3) year of publication, (4) ranking of the journal, (5) number of authors on each article and (6) the doctoral candidate’s author number for the specific article.

3.4 Limitations

This dissertation review has some limitations that are worthwhile to mention. First, even though the gross list of dissertations was reviewed and validated by senior researchers within the Nordic countries, there is a possibility that some dissertations were not identified. Second, reviewer subjectivity could not be completely eliminated in the review of the 150 dissertations. However, in order to minimize subjectivity, an aligned interpretation of the review elements and their outcome was obtained by a common review of three different types of dissertations (one monograph and two article-based dissertations). Third, the list of dissertations that was composed and reviewed stems from the NOFOMA research community. Obviously, other Nordic researchers may produce doctoral dissertations that deal with topics under the scope of this review, but is outside the NOFOMA radar (e.g., researchers belonging to European Decision Sciences Institute (EDSI), European Logistics Association (ELA), European Operations Management (EurOMA), International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) or Logistics Research Network (LRN) or Rencontres Internationales de Recherche en Logistique (RIRL) (International Research Conference on Logistics and Supply Chain Management). This study can make observations only based on the dissertations reviewed under the NOFOMA umbrella. Fourth, since the contact persons were not provided with a definition of logistics and SCM, they might have excluded some dissertation that could have fallen within the scope of this analysis. Moreover, the senior researchers whom we e-mailed for dissertations might not be from the department of logistics and SCM. Therefore, including definitions for logistics and SCM will have no impact.

This section is concerned with specific analyses of the 150 reviewed doctoral dissertations. For comparative purposes, the data from the present review are portrayed and analyzed with the categories that are similar to those used by Gubi et al. [ 13 ] and Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ]. The results are displayed in tables and are followed with appropriate comments and interpretations.

4.1 Number and type of dissertations finalized in the period 2009–2014

Table  1 contains the PhD dissertations divided by country, year of publication and type of dissertation (monograph vs. a collection of articles). Compared with the earlier studies, these new figures show some interesting developments. First, the number of finalized dissertations in the period 2009–2014 is 158, which represents an average of 26 dissertations per year. Compared with averages numbers of 10 (from the period 2002–2008) and 6.25 (from the period 1990–2001), this shows that there has been a strong increase in PhD production in this research area. A similar pattern is identified by Nakhata et al. [ 25 ] in their study of doctoral dissertations published by Dissertation Abstracts International in the period of 2005 and 2009. They explain that one reason for such an increase might be an increased level of retiring academicians toward 2020 which creates a stronger market for Assistant Professors. Another explanation could be that there is a drive from the governments to boost the number of annual PhD production in order to support national social, economic and environmental well-being as well as to address major global challenges [ 12 ]. The majority of the Nordic logistics and SCM PhDs come from the Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish research environments. In Denmark, the production is stable with 17 dissertations in the period of 2009–2014. Iceland has reported their first PhD in this period of analysis. Twenty-five Nordic research institutions have produced within logistics and SCM in the period 2009–2014 (see “Appendix 2”).

Another interesting finding in the current review is the increase in the share of dissertations that are based on a collection of articles. As given in Table  1 , 92 out of the 150 dissertations (61 %) are based on a collection of articles. Thus, there is a much higher focus on the craft to write academic articles when compared to the share of article-based dissertations in previous periods (29 % in the period 2002–2008 and 21 % in the period 1990–2001). This trend supports the predictions previously made by Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ]. One plausible explanation for this development might be an increased amount of public and private resource allocation to research environments based on publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals as well as measures such as impact indicators and H-index (see, e.g., [ 27 ]).

4.2 Primary entity of analysis

In Table  2 , all 150 dissertations are classified according to their entity of analysis; the classifications are also compared to previous results reported in [ 13 , 14 ]. The study of the primary entity of analysis in the dissertations shows strong differences. First, the category others has increased to about one-third of the dissertations in the last reported period. This group consists of a variety of dissertations without a specific supply chain actors’ perspective—such as fresh fish supply chains [ 26 ] and healthcare logistics [ 17 ]. Second, in absolute numbers, the manufacturer as the primary entity of analysis has increased when compared to the previous studies; but, if we measure the number as a percentage of the reviewed dissertations, there is a fall from 57 % in the dissertations from 2002 to 2008 to 33 % in the recent study.

Thus, it shows the more classical actors such as wholesalers, retailers and inventory hotels have obtained lesser research focus. Additionally, a remarkably low number of dissertations have focused on retail SCM within the Nordic countries. This is intriguing given the fact that the retail sector is well known for supply chain innovations such as quick response systems, efficient consumer response, distribution centers, reverse logistics, as well as collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment [ 10 ].

4.3 Level of analysis arranged according to year of publication

Table  3 shows the analysis of the dissertations level of analysis arranged by the year of publication.

An interesting development evidenced in the above table is an increased focus on functional themes within dissertations (in the present analysis, this is about 26 % of the dissertations compared with 11 and 10 % in previous analyses). This development is primarily driven by Finnish dissertations and can indicate an emphasis on building stronger knowledge bases in certain sub-disciplines along the supply chain. Examples of such dissertations are [ 18 , 19 ]. Another interesting development is the reduced focus on firm-level analysis and a subsequent increased focus on the supply chain or the network as the level of analysis, with the network level experiencing the highest increase. This increase is strongly evident within Swedish dissertations.

4.4 Research design, time frame and philosophy of science

Table  4 shows the classification of the dissertations according to research design, time frame and philosophy of science. The recent analysis reveals a decrease in share of dissertations that are purely theoretical in nature. Also, the share of dissertations founded on purely qualitative methods has also decreased compared with dissertations published in the period 2002–2008. The drop in share of these two categories has attributed to increases in shares of dissertations based on quantitative methods and on triangulations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The increase in quantitative research methods can be explained by the increased pressure to publish, thereby favoring quantitative methods over time-consuming qualitative studies (see, e.g., [ 21 ]). While quantitative data collection can be automated, it is not possible for qualitative data collection. Qualitative data collection is, in general, more time-consuming and expensive when compared to quantitative research studies. Thus, it might be more cost-effective to slice one questionnaire survey into a number of articles than doing the same number of articles based on qualitative methodologies. This trend will undoubtedly improve numerical performance metrics. At the same time, this trend need not necessarily deliver new knowledge that could move the discipline significantly forward. Particularly, quantitative surveys are exposed to the phenomenon of “salami-slicing” where the data from a particular project are disseminated in a number of articles that in fact are “sliced” so thinly that there might be overlap of the papers (e.g., text recycling in literature review sections, key findings and discussions ([ 9 , 16 ]). We refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) [ 7 ] for a discussion on different forms of text recycling.

Table  4 also shows an increased share of dissertations that apply a longitudinal perspective. Additionally, the share of snapshot time frames has decreased and the share of the category time frame not specified has increased. Examples of dissertations without any specific time frame are by (1) Mortensen [ 23 ], who investigate the concept of attraction and explain its role in initiation and development of buyer–seller relations, and (2) Tynjälä [ 35 ], who conceptually examines the methods and tools for supply chain decision making during new product development. A final remarkable finding from Table  4 is the continued decline of dissertations containing philosophy of science issues. The present analysis identifies 73 % of the dissertations not including such philosophical considerations in comparison with 71 and 45 % in the two previous periods of analysis. Twenty-nine percent of dissertations that are monographs do contain philosophy of science considerations, whereas 25 % have this content among the article-based dissertations. Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ] provided four possible reasons for this decline: (1) There are no mandatory requirements for PhD students to attend philosophy of science courses, (2) article-based dissertations do not rely on philosophy of science argumentations to the same degree as the monographs that typically require more in-depth interaction of this issues and method considerations, (3) there is a lower prioritization of philosophy of science due to higher pressure from external funded projects that do not demand this theme, and (4) logistics and SCM are closely connected with industry that could lead to a perception that philosophy of science is less relevant. To this list, we add four more potential reasons. First, there are no requirements mentioned in Nordic countries’ ministerial orders granting degrees of PhD about unfolding philosophical of science perspectives. Second, few, if any, journals within logistics and SCM demand such discussions. Third, philosophy of science has disappeared from PhD candidates’ syllabi. Finally, only a few PhD advisors have the knowledge to join in such discussions with their PhD students; therefore, they do not send signals for offering such courses. Overall, this development is inexpedient if the discipline really has to move toward theory development [ 6 , 30 ].

4.5 Dissertations distributed according to topic groups and country of origin

Table  5 displays the dissertations according to topic groups based on a title analysis of the 158 identified dissertations. For comparison reasons, the topic groups identified in previous studies were used [ 13 , 41 ] and further supplemented with two new groups risk management and humanitarian logistics. The table shows a continued decline in the share of dissertations related to system design/structure/effectiveness, organizational development/competencies and material handling. In contrast, topics related to system integration/integration enablers and transport/transport systems have obtained increased awareness. The increase in these topics is primarily based on Swedish and Norwegian dissertations.

Additionally, while the study by [ 41 ] found that topics related to humanitarian logistics and risk management were absent, the present review of dissertations has remedied this with dissertations on this topic from Finland and Sweden.

4.6 Article-based dissertations

The study reported in this paper reveals an increased amount of article-based dissertations. This development confirms the expectations raised by Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ]. However, an article-based dissertation can be composed in different ways—e.g., with respect to requirements regarding the type of articles, number of articles, co-author permission and the author order position among the co-authors in an article. The ministerial orders granting the degree of PhDs in the different countries do not provide any guidance and requirements concerning the format of a PhD. This opens up for various interpretations of the required workload to earn the PhD degree. Therefore, the increase in more article-based dissertations requires that we study how the practice of these types of dissertations is unfolded in the Nordic countries. This section takes a closer look at the 92 article-based dissertations and develops a measure to differentiate the various types of dissertations. The subsequent subsection proposes a measure for article-based dissertation; this measure is subsequently used in analyzing the identified Nordic article-based dissertations.

4.6.1 Measure for dissertation score

In order to develop a measure for an average article-based dissertation, we first need to recognize the fact that a specific article that is part of the dissertation can take different forms. Hence, the first element in this proposal for a dissertation measure is to differentiate between the different types of contributions that are part of the article-based dissertation and then to allocate different scores for the different types. The present analysis distinguishes between five different types of articles with specific scores as follows:

Peer-reviewed journal articles, score: 1

Peer-reviewed articles in form of book chapters (e.g., in an anthology), score: 0.8

Peer-reviewed conference articles, score: 0.8

Working papers, score: 0.5

Non-published papers, score: 0.5

The differences in scores are used to reflect different perceptions of workload as well as quality requirements. Thus, a peer-reviewed journal article obtains the highest score of 1 point followed by book chapters and conferences papers with scores of 0.8, and working papers and non-published manuscripts of 0.5 points.

The next step in developing a dissertation score is to propose a measure that takes into account the number of authors as well as the order of the authors. Thus, a sole authored paper by a PhD candidate counts more than a co-authored paper. And, in the present measure, a first-order author position counts more than a lower author position. Table  6 proposes scores for authorship indicators evaluating each of the articles that take into consideration various numbers of authors and author order positions.

Based on the above proposals of different types of articles and measures for different authorship indicators, we can now develop an overall dissertation score based on Formula 1:

Formula 1: overall dissertation score

where S  = overall dissertation score, T  = type of article and authorship factor = number of authors (NoA) * author order position (AOP).

The overall dissertation score is composed of multiplying the scores of the individual articles by the authorship factor. The basic idea is that the highest score per article of 1 point is reduced based on the lower the level of the perceived status of various channels (e.g., journal rankings; journal articles versus book chapters; conference articles versus journal articles/book chapters) and the number of co-authors as well as the author order the PhD student has for the given article. A conference paper that is included in an article-based dissertation, which have been through a double-blind review process (e.g., at a NOFOMA, LRN or a EurOMA conference), is valued 0.8 compared with an article that is published in a peer-reviewed journal. Thus, a conference article is considered as less mature when compared to an article that has been through perhaps several revisions in a journal before acceptance. However, we should avoid with the generalization of the different channels. The Danish Bibliometric Research Indicator, for example, value accepted conference articles as much as some journal papers, if they are accepted to be presented at some conferences (e.g., EURAM and AOM) [ 36 ]. Also, contributions to books are valued differently according to which publisher the work is published with [ 37 ].

The dissertation score is a measure for the PhD dissertation at hand—and thus, the status of it when it was judged and passed. Several article-based dissertations contain non-published papers, working papers and conference articles that find its way to peer-reviewed journals after the degree of PhD has been awarded and further workload is invested in those articles. Other articles of this nature never end in publications for various reasons. Thus, the status of the papers after the PhD evaluation is not included in the dissertation score presented in this article.

An article-based dissertation is evaluated not only on the enclosed articles, but also on the text (the frame) that bind the articles together. Also, herein there seems to be different practices—e.g., the scope and depths on positioning the thesis against extant research; the level and scope of methodological and philosophy of science discussions (see, e.g., [ 3 ]); independent literature reviews as well as discussions on the “red line” between the included articles.

The overall purpose with the dissertation score is to propose a measure to be used for discussing the scope and content-type of a PhD dissertation. What is enough? And how much of a dissertation can be co-authored with others? Is one dissertation better than another because it includes articles that are published? It is our experience that there are differences in what is needed in an article-based dissertation both within a department at a research institution and between research institutions. The present dissertation score can help in discussing what is needed and also in developing department guidelines.

The proposed overall dissertation score formula is not without limitations. First, the division of types of articles and their scores is subjective. The peer-reviewed journal category, for example, can be further divided into different scores by following specific journal ranking lists. Second, the scores for various numbers of authors and their author order position in the proposed authorship factor calculation are also subjective and can be altered. The order of authors of a paper does not necessarily display the true workload of different authors. The order of authors can be organized using different principles such as a simple alphabetical listing, organized after seniority (experience); listing the person first who got the idea to the article as the first author; or listing PhD students first because they need the credit more than their senior co-authors. Third, the dissertation score does not include a time perspective (i.e., the length of the PhD program)—a higher score can be obtained over a 5-year period when compared to a 3-year period. Fourth, the dissertation score does not take into consideration the extent of thesis frame (the text accompanying the articles such as scoping, positioning, methods, philosophy of science, contribution and implications). Fifth, the score of author order position decreases based on the position; this may not reflect the actual work load. In summary, as with any measures in general, this overall dissertation score also has its own shortcomings and these are important to be considered to ensure the practical use of the score. However, in spite of the sometime magical status of numbers—we should remember that “numbers are just number” and that they can be used to jump start discussions on how to compose an article-based dissertation.

4.6.2 Dissertation scores

This section provides an analysis of the 92 article-based dissertations using the dissertation score developed in the above subsection. This number is divided among 12 Danish, 27 Finnish, 37 Swedish and 16 Norwegian dissertations. As given in Table  7 , the dissertations vary in the number of included articles spanning from three to eight articles. The majority of the dissertations are composed of four to six articles. The average number of articles counts to 4.84. Table  7 also shows that the average dissertation score increases from 1.53 with three articles to 5.38 with eight articles. This is not surprising given the design of the formula.

Furthermore, Table  7 shows that including journal articles is a well-established practice among the reviewed dissertations. The share of journal articles counts 54 % among dissertations with four articles (71/132); 62 % among dissertations with five articles (80/130); and 69 % among dissertations with six articles (99/144). After journal papers, conference papers and non-published papers are the second most typical types that are included in article-based dissertations. Finally, Table  7 shows that including reviewed books chapters is not that prevalent among the dissertations reviewed.

This review also shows that there are more PhD candidates at Chalmers University of Technology with highest number of contributions at 18 dissertations followed by Molde University College with 16 dissertations and Lund University with 11 dissertations (see Fig.  1 ). In all, the 92 article-based dissertations contain 446 articles divided into the five types discussed in Sect.  4.6.1 . Out of this, 266 are peer-reviewed journal articles of which 68 are from Chalmers University of Technology; 39 are from Molde University College; and 39 are from Lappeenranta University of Technology. In total, 83 articles are included as conference papers; 64 are included as non-published papers; 27 are included as working papers; and only six articles take the form of book chapters.

Average dissertation scores divided by research institution. AU Aalto University, ASB/AU Aarhus School of Business/Aarhus University, CUT Chalmers University of Technology, HSE Hanken School of Economics, JIBS Jönköping International Business School, KI Karolinska Institutet, LiU Linköping University, LU Lund University, LUT Lappeenranta University of Technology, MUC Molde University College, SU Stockholm University, TSE Turku School of Economics, TUD Technical University Denmark, UO University of Oulu, UV University of Vaasa, USD University of Southern Denmark

Figure  1 demonstrates a relatively high variety among the dissertations across the different research institutions with respect to the average institutional dissertations (ranging from 1.47, 2.47, 2.76, 2.96, 3.03, 3.12, 3.22, 3.25, 3.45, 3.83, 3.87, 3.93, 4.11, 4.22, 4.28, 5.02). Four of the six dissertations composed of three articles (see Table  7 ) are Danish dissertations from Aarhus School of Business/Aarhus University. In contrast, eight out of the 24 dissertations holding six articles are composed of 4–6 peer-reviewed journal articles. The dissertation score is here suggested as an instrument that can be used in discussions on what is required to earn the degree of PhD at the specific research institutions and, through benchmarks, facilitate alignment processes if needed. With the limitations in mind, a PhD student can discuss with her or his advisor(s) as of what type of articles are required; whether co-authored articles with advisors or other senior researchers or PhD students can be included; and how a PhD student documents her or his contribution in each article if they are co-authored. The dissertation score can also stimulate further discussions on what should be included in the binder of the dissertation—e.g., prioritizes theme to be discussed in the binder instead of adding another article.

4.7 Potential topics for inclusion in the dissertations

The review process of the 150 dissertations reveals that five research areas seem to be under-prioritized among Nordic scholars within logistics and SCM. The topics are as follows (not prioritized):

Cloud technology Although there is a focus on maximizing the effectiveness of shared resources [ 5 ], the increased availability of high-capacity network, low-cost computers and storage devices as well as the widespread adoption of hardware virtualization, service-oriented architecture, and autonomic and utility computing have led to a growth in the use of cloud technology. In spite of its increased importance, it is distinct that this subject has not received more attention in the dissertations reviewed.

Globalization of SC As mentioned previously, this topic was still largely ignored in the dissertation reviewed. With the natural outcome of expanding growing market and sustaining competitive advantage, companies have to make key decisions about managing costs and complexity through globalized supply chain (see, e.g., [ 11 ]).

Supply chain innovation (SCI) The discipline of innovations has branched out into the supply chain context and should be regarded as an important topic. While firms are applying their assets, operating resources and capabilities to develop new ways of improve performance, they cannot ignore the importance of their supply chain partners in enabling product and process innovations (see, e.g., [ 1 ]). Accordingly, more attention needs to be paid to this topic.

Security This topic was also mentioned in the previous study by Zachariassen and Arlbjørn [ 41 ]. Yet, this topic has only received limited attention among the 112 dissertations published between 2009 and 2014. Security is increasingly becoming a major concern to both private and public sector organizations. Security searches for cooperative arrangements between businesses as well as identifies risks before the goods move. It is also concerned with controlling theft and reducing illegal import and export of stolen goods. There are many areas of research within the topic of security from formal aspects to empirical research (see, e.g., [ 4 , 40 ]). Hence, it is essential that researchers start focusing on the different aspects of this topic in the future. This is one of the key topics of research within supply chain now as well as in the distant future.

Big data This is currently drowning the world. The huge amount of data is an invaluable asset in the context of supply chains. The quality of the evidence extracted significantly benefits from the availability of broad datasets. On the one hand, extensive vision is more promising when extra data are available. And, on the other hand, it is a big challenge. The current approach is not appropriate to handle large data, and therefore, there is a need for new solutions to handle large datasets. This research field is new and rapidly evolving [ 38 ], and there is also a lead-time issue before we see the first dissertations within this area. As a result, any initial effort taken will be a strong contribution from both experimental and theoretical perspective (see, e.g., [ 15 ]).

5 Conclusion

This paper has set out to analyze the development of Nordic doctoral dissertations in logistics and SCM from the years 2009–2014. The paper identified 158 dissertations relevant for review; out of this, 150 dissertations were reviewed in depth based on different criteria. Compared with previous studies, this research found several important developments in Nordic doctoral research. First, there has been an increase in the average annual number of finalized dissertations when compared to previous Nordic studies. The results predominantly show the remarkable increase in dissertations between 2009 and 2014 (158 dissertations) wherein Sweden ranks highest followed by Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, respectively. Second, there has been a decrease in dissertations that focus on classical entities of analysis such as carriers, wholesalers, retailers and inventories. Therefore, it is clear that the PhD dissertation’s focal point is still more on manufacturing firms (50/150) rather than on other entities. Third, there has been an increase in functional subject areas of logistics and SCM and the supply chain/network level. Fourth, the number of dissertations containing philosophy of science discussions is continuing to decline. As mentioned earlier, there is a significant increase in article-based dissertations and these dissertations do not adopt philosophy of science; as a result, there is an extreme decrease (110/150). Finally, there is clear shift toward disseminating doctoral research as an article-based dissertation (2009–2014: 92/150; 2002–2008: 26/70; 1990–2001: 15/71, respectively). However, this piece of research has demonstrated that the content of the Nordic article-based dissertations varies along dimensions such as types of articles included, the number of articles included and the number of co-authors at the papers. A dissertation score has been suggested as a measure for initiating discussions about such dissertations at a single research institution and as a benchmark between different institutions. As discussed earlier, such a score is not without limitations and must not stand alone. Therefore, the next logical step might be to discuss how far should we go with the number and the type of contributions. What is enough in order to earn a PhD degree? The content of this paper can be used to match the expectations of PhD students and their supervisors so as to find the right path to learn the craft of conducting and disseminating logistics and SCM research.

Arlbjørn JS, de Haas H, Munksgaard KB (2011) Exploring supply chain innovation. Logist Res 3(1):3–18

Article   Google Scholar  

Arlbjørn JS, Freytag PV, Damgaard T (2008) The beauty of measurement. Eur Bus Rev 20(2):112–127

Arlbjørn JS, Halldórsson Á (2002) Logistics knowledge creation: reflections on content, context and processes. Int J Phys Distr Log 32(1):22–40

Blackhurst J, Ekwall D, Martens BJ (2015) Special issue on supply chain security. Int J Phys Distr Log 45(7). doi: 10.1108/IJPDLM-04-2015-0104

Google Scholar  

Cegielski CG, Allison Jones-Farmer L, Wu Y, Hazen BT (2012) Adoption of cloud computing technologies in supply chains: an organizational information processing theory approach. Int J Logist Manag 23(2):184–211

Choi TY, Wacker JG (2011) Theory building in the OM/SCM field: pointing to the future by looking at the past. Supply Chain Manag Int J 47(2):8–11

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (2014) How to deal with text recycling. http://publicationethics.org/files/BioMed%20Central_text_recycling_editorial_guidelines_1.pdf . Accessed 09 Jan 2016

Das A, Handfield RB (1997) A meta-analysis of doctoral dissertations in purchasing. J Oper Manag 15(2):101–121

Dyrud MA (2015) Ethics and text recycling. In: 122nd ASEE annual conference & exposition, 14–17 June 2015, Seattle, paper ID#11150

Fernie J, Sparks L, McKinnon AC (2010) Retail logistics in the UK: past, present and future. Int J Retail Distr Manag 38(11/12):894–914

Gereffi G, Lee J (2012) Why the world suddenly cares about global supply chains. Supply Chain Manag Int J 48(3):24–32

Group of Eight (2013) The changing. In: Ph.D.: discussion paper. O’Conner ACT Australia. https://go8.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/the-changing-phd_final.pdf . Accessed 01 March 2015

Gubi E, Stentoft Arlbjørn J, Johansen J (2003) Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management: a review of Scandinavian contributions from 1990 to 2001. Int J Phys Distr Log 33(10):854–885

Halldórsson Á, Larson PD, Poist RF (2008) Supply chain management: a comparison of Scandinavian and American perspectives. Int J Phys Distr Log 38(2):126–142

Huang YY, Handfield RB (2015) Measuring the benefits of ERP on supply management maturity model: a “big data” method. Int J Oper Prod Man 35(1):2–25

Hughes M (2014) Editorial: reflecting on ethical questions and peer reviewing. Aust Soc Work 67(4):463–466

Jørgensen P (2013) Technology in health care logistics. Dissertation, Technical University of Denmark

Karjalainen K (2009) Challenges of purchasing centralization—empirical evidence from public procurement. Dissertation, Aalto University School of Business

Karrus KE (2011) Policy variants for coordinating supply chain inventory replenishments. Dissertation, Aalto University School of Business

Macdonald S, Kam J (2007) Ring a Ring o’Roses: quality journals and gamesmanship in management studies. J Manag Stud 44(4):640–655

McKinnon AC (2013) Starry-eyed: journal rankings and the future of logistics research. Int J Phys Distr Log 43(1):6–17

Menachof DA, Gibson BJ, Hanna JB, Whiteing AE (2009) An analysis of the value of supply chain management periodicals. Int J Phys Distr Log 39(2):145–165

Mortensen, MH (2011) Towards understanding attractiveness in industrial relationships. Dissertation, University of Southern Denmark

Myklebust, JP (2013). Sharp rise in foreign. In: Ph.D. enrolments in Scandinavia. University World News 18

Nakhata C, Stock JR, Texiera TB (2013) Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain-related areas: 2005–2009. Logist Res 6(4):119–131

Nga, MTT (2010) Enhancing quality management of fresh fish supply chains through improved logistics and ensured traceability. Dissertation, University of Iceland

Rao S, Iyengar D, Goldsby JT (2013) On the measurement and benchmarking of research impact among active logistics scholars. Int J Phys Distr Log 43(10):814–832

Stock JR (1987) A compendium of doctoral research in logistics: 1970–1986. J Bus Logist 8(2):123–136

Stock JR (1988) A compendium of doctoral research in logistics: 1970–1986. J Bus Logist 9(1):125–233

Stock JR (1997) Applying theories from other disciplines to logistics. Int J Phys Distr Log 27(9/10):515–539

Stock JR (2001) Doctoral research in logistics and logistics-related areas 1992–1998. J Bus Logist 22(1):125–256

Stock JR, Boyer SL (2009) Developing a consensus definition of supply chain management: a qualitative study. Int J Phys Distr Log 39(8):690–711

Stock JR, Broadus CJ (2006) Doctoral research in supply chain management and/or logistics-related areas: 1999–2004. J Bus Logist 27(1):139–151

Stock JR, Luhrsen DA (1993) Doctoral research in logistics-related areas 1987–1991. J Bus Logist 14(2):197–210

Tynjälä T (2011) An effective tool for supply chain decision support during new product development process. Dissertation, Aalto University School of Business

Undervisnings & Forsknings Ministeriet (Ministry of Teaching and Research) (UFM) (2015a) http://ufm.dk/forskning-og-innovation/statistik-og-analyser/den-bibliometriske-forskningsindikator/autoritetslister/list-of-series-18112015-xlsx.pdf . Accessed 31 Dec 2015

Undervisnings & Forsknings Ministeriet (Ministry of Teaching and Research) (UFM) (2015b) http://ufm.dk/forskning-og-innovation/statistik-og-analyser/den-bibliometriske-forskningsindikator/autoritetslister/autoritetslisten-for-forlag-2015-november-xlsx.pdf . Accessed 31 Dec 2015

Waller M, Fawcett S (2013) Data science, predictive analytics, and big data: a revolution that will transform supply chain design and management. J Bus Logist 34(2):77–84

Williams AJ (1986) Doctoral research in purchasing and materials management: an assessment. J Purch Mater Manage 22(1):13–16

Williams Z, Lueg JE, Taylor RD, Cook RL (2009) Why all the changes? An institutional theory approach to exploring the drivers of supply chain security (SCS). Int J Phys Distr Log 39(7):595–618

Zachariassen F, Arlbjørn JS (2010) Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management: a review of Nordic contributions from 2002 to 2008. Int J Phys Distr Log 40(4):332–352

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management, University of Southern Denmark, Kolding, Denmark

Christopher Rajkumar, Lone Kavin, Xue Luo & Jan Stentoft

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Stentoft .

Appendix 1: Research institutions contacted

Aalborg University

Aarhus School of Business/Aarhus University

Copenhagen Business School

Danish Technical University/Technical University of Denmark

Roskilde University

University of Southern Denmark

Aalto University

Åbo Akademi University

Hanken School of Economic

Helsinki University

Lappeenranta University of Technology

National Defence University

Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration

Tampere University of Technology

Technical Research Center of Finland

Turku School of Economics

University of Oulu Business School

University of Vaasa

University of Iceland

BI Norwegian School of Management

Institute of Transport Economics

Molde University College

Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

SINTEF Industrial Management

University of Oslo Business School

University of Nordland

Chalmers University of Technology

Gothenburg University

Jönköping International Business School

Karolinska Institute Department of Public Health Sciences

Linköping University

Linnæus University

Lund University

Örebro University

Stockholm School of Economics

Stockholm University

Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute

University College of Borås

Appendix 2: Doctoral dissertations identified

2.1 danish dissertations.

Aarhus School of Business/Aarhus University:

Abginehchi, S. (2012), Essays on Inventory Control in Presence of Multiple Sourcing , Aarhus.

Bach, L. (2014), Routing and Scheduling Problems — Optimization using Exact and Heuristic Methods , Aarhus.

Bendre, A.B. (2010), Numerical Studies of Single - stage, Single - item Inventory Systems with Lost Sales , Aarhus.

Bodnar, P. (2013), Essays on Warehouse Operations , Aarhus.

Christensen, T.R.L. (2013), Network Design Problems with Piecewise Linear Cost Functions , Aarhus.

Du, B. (2011), Essays on Advance Demand Information, Prioritization and Real Options in Inventory Management, Aarhus.

Hanghøj, A. (2014), Papers in Purchasing and Supply Management: A Capability - Based Perspective , Aarhus.

Kjeldsen, K.H. (2012), Routing and Scheduling in Liner Shipping , Aarhus.

Copenhagen Business School:

Andreasen, P.H. (2012), The Dynamics of Procurement Management — A Complexity Approach , Frederiksberg.

Kinra, A. (2009), Supply Chain (Logistics) Environmental Complexity , Frederiksberg.

Nøkkentved, C. (2009), Enabling Supply Networks with Collaborative Information Infrastructures: An Empirical Investigation of Business Model Innovation in Supplier Relationship Management , Frederiksberg.

Yu, L.A. (2012), Fabricating an S&OP Process: Circulating References and Matters of Concern , Frederiksberg.

University of Southern Denmark:

Jensen, J.K. (2013), Development of Environmentally Sustainable Food Supply Chains , Kolding.

Mikkelsen, O.S. (2011), Strategic Sourcing in a Global Organizational Context , Kolding.

Mortensen, M.H. (2011), Towards Understanding Attractiveness in Industrial Relationships , Kolding.

Zachariassen, F. (2011), Supply Chain Management and Critical Theory: Meta - Theoretical, Disciplinary and Practical Contributions to the Supply Chain Management Discipline Based on Insights from the Management Accounting Discipline , Kolding.

Technical University of Denmark:

Jørgensen, P. (2013), Technology in Health Care Logistics , Lyngby.

2.2 Finnish dissertations

Aalto University School of Business:

Aaltonen, K. (2010), Stakeholder Management in International Projects , Finland.

Ahola, T. (2009), Efficiency in Project Networks: The Role of Inter - Organizational Relationships in Project Implementation , Finland.

Ala-Risku, T. (2009), Installed Base Information: Ensuring Customer Value and Profitability after the Sale , Finland.

Groop, J. (2012), Theory of Constraints in Field Service: Factors Limiting Productivity in Home Care Operations , Finland.

Helkiö, P. (2013), D eveloping Explorative and Exploitative Strategic Intentions — Towards a Practice Theory of Operations Strategy , Finland.

Hinkka, V. (2013), Implementation of RFID Tracking across the Entire Supply Chain , Finland.

Karjalainen, K. (2009), Challenges of Purchasing Centralization — Empirical Evidence from Public Procurement , Finland.

Karrus, K. (2011), Policy Variants for Coordinating Supply Chain Inventory Replenishments , Finland.

Kauremaa, J. (2010), Studies on the Utilization of Electronic Trading Systems in Supply Chain Management , Finland.

Nieminen, S. (2011), Supplier Relational Effort in the Buyer – Supplier Relationship , Finland.

Peltokorpi, A. (2010), Improving Efficiency in Surgical Services: A Production Planning and Control Approach , Finland.

Porkka, P. (2010), Capacitated Timing of Mobile and Flexible Service Resources , Finland.

Rajahonka, M. (2013), Towards Service Modularity — Service and Business Model Development , Finland.

Ristola, P. (2012), Impact of Waste - to - Energy on the Demand and Supply Relationships of Recycled Fibre , Finland.

Seppälä, T. (2014), Contemporary Determinants and Geographical Economy of Added Value, Cost of Inputs, and Profits in Global Supply Chains: An Empirical Analysis , Finland.

Tenhiälä, A. (2009), Contingency Theories of Order Management, Capacity Planning, and Exception Processing in Complex Manufacturing Environments , Finland.

Torkki, P. (2012), Best Practice Processes — What are the Reasons for Differences in Productivity between Surgery Units , Finland. NOT reviewed

Turunen, T. (2013), Organizing Service Operations in Manufacturing , Finland.

Tynjälä, T. (2011 ) , An Effective Tool for Supply Chain Decision Support During New Product Development Process , Finland.

Viitamo, E. (2012), Productivity as a Competitive Edge of a Service Firm: Theoretical Analysis and a Case Study of the Finnish Banking Industry , Finland.

Voutilainen, J. (2014), Factory Positioning in an Unpredictable Environment: A Managerial View of Manufacturing Strategy Formation , Finland.

Åbo Akademi University:

Nyholm, M. (2011), Activation of Supply Relationships , Turku.

Hanken School of Economic:

Antai, I. (2011), Operationalizing Supply Chain vs. Supply Chain Completion , Finland.

Haavisto, I. (2014), Performance in Humanitarian Supply Chains , Finland.

Harilainen, H. (2014), Managing Supplier Sustainability Risk , Finland.

Tomasini Ponce, R. (2012), Informal Learning Framework for Secondment: Logistics Lessons from Disaster Relief Operations , Finland.

Vainionpää, M. (2010), Tiering Effects in Third - party Logistics: A First - Tier Buyer Perspective , Finland.

University of Oulu Business School:

Juntunen, J. (2010): Logistics Outsourcing for Economies in Business Network , Finland

Lappeenranta University of Technology — Industrial Engineering and Management:

Karppinen, H. (2014), Reframing the Relationship between Service Design and Operations: A Service Engineering Approach , Lappeenranta.

Kerkkänen, A. (2010), Improving Demand Forecasting Practices in the Industrial Context , Lappeenranta.

Laisi, M. (2013), Deregulation’s Impact on the Railway Freight Transport Sector’s Future in the Baltic Sea Region , Lappeenranta.

Lättilä, L. (2012), Improving Transportation and Warehousing Efficiency with Simulation - Based Decision Support Systems , Lappeenranta.

Niemi, P. (2009), Improving the Effectiveness of Supply Chain Development Work — An Expert Role Perspective , Lappeenranta.

Pekkanen, P. (2011), Delay Reduction in Courts of Justice — Possibilities and Challenges of Process Improvement in Professional Public Organizations , Lappeenranta.

Salmela, E. (2014), Kysyntä - Toimitusketjun Synkronointi Epävarman Kysynnän ja Tarjonnan Toimintaympäristössä , Lappeenranta. NOT reviewed.

Saranen, J. (2009), Enhancing the Efficiency of Freight Transport by Using Simulation , Lappeenranta.

Lappeenranta University of Technology — School of Business:

Kähkönen, A. (2010), The Role of Power Relations in Strategic Supply Management — A Value Net Approach , Lappeenranta.

Lintukangas Annaliisa, K. (2009), Supplier Relationship Management Capability in the Firm’s Global Integration , Lappeenranta.

Vilko, J. (2012), Approaches to Supply Chain Risk Management: Identification, Analysis and Control , Lappeenranta.

Turku School of Economic:

Koskinen, P. (2009), Supply Chain Challenges and Strategies of a Global Paper Manufacturing Company , Turku.

Lorentz, H. (2009), Contextual Supply Chain Constraints in Emerging Markets — Exploring the Implications for Foreign Firms , Turku.

Rantasila, K. (2013), Measuring Logistics Costs. Designing a Generic Model for Assessing Macro Logistics Costs in a Global Context with Empirical Evidence from the Manufacturing and Trading Industries , Turku.

Solakivi, T. (2014), The Connection between Supply Chain Practices and Firm Performance — Evidence from Multiple Surveys and Financial Reporting Data , Turku.

Tampere University of Technology:

Jokinen, J. (2010), Multi - Agent Control of Reconfigurable Pallet Transport Systems , Tampere. NOT reviewed

University of Vaasa:

Addo-Tenkorang, R. (2014), Conceptual Framework for Large - Scale Complex Engineering - Design & Delivery Processes. A Case of Enterprise SCM Network Activities and Analysis , Finland.

Kärki, P. (2012), The Impact of Customer Order Lead Time - Based Decisions on the Firm’s Ability to Make Money — Case Study: Build to Order Manufacturing of Electrical Equipment and Appliances , Finland.

Moilanen, V. (2011), Case study: Developing a Framework for Supply Network Management , Finland.

Nugroho Widhi, Y K. (2009), Structuring Postponement Strategies in the Supply Chain by Analytical Modeling , Finland.

2.3 Icelandic dissertations

University of Iceland — School of Health Sciences:

Nga, M. (2010), Enhancing Quality Management of Fresh Fish Supply Chains through Improved Logistics and Ensured Traceability , Reykjavik.

2.4 Norwegian dissertations

Norwegian University of Science and Technology:

Bai, Y. (2013), Reliability of International Freight Trains, An Exploratory Study Drawing on Three Mainstream Theories , Trondheim.

BI Norwegian School of Management:

Hatteland, C.J. (2010), Ports as Actors in Industrial Networks , Norway.

Bjørnstad, S. (2009), Shipshaped Kongsberg Industry and Innovations in Deepwater Technology, 1975 – 2000, Norway.

Hoholm, T. (2009), The Contrary Forces of Innovation - An Ethnography of Innovation Processes in the Food Industr, Norway.

Zhovtobryukh, Y (2014), The Role of Technology, Ownership and Origin in M&A Performance, Norway.

Molde University College:

Halse, L.L. (2014), Walking the Path of Change. Globalization of the Maritime Cluster in North West Norway , Norway.

Salema, G.L. (2014), The Antecedents of Supplier Logistics Performance: an Empirical Study of the Essential Medicines Supply in Tanzania, Norway.

Chaudhry, M.O. (2014), An Assessment of Linkages between Investment in Transport Infrastructure and Economic Development, Norway.

Søvde, N.E. (2014) Optimization of Terrain Transportation Problems in Forestry, Norway.

Iversen, H.P. (2013) Logististikkerfaringer i Psykiatri og Psykisk Helsearbeid: Om Forståelse, Organisering og Ledelsed av Relasjoner i en Profesjonell Organisasjon i Omstilling, Norway.

Bottolfsen, T. (2013) The Impact of Internal, Customer and Supplier Integration on Store Performance , Norway.

Schøyen, H. (2013) Identifying Efficiency Potentials in Maritime Logistics: Investigations from Container and Bulk Trades , Nowary.

Jin, J.Y. (2013) Cooperative Parallel Metaheuristics for Large Scale Vehicle Routing Problems, Norway.

Regmi, U.K. (2013) Essays on Air Transport Marketing and Economics , Norway.

Glavee-Geo, R. (2012) The Antecedents and Consequences of Supplier Satisfaction in Agro Commodity Value Chain: an Empirical Study of Smallholder Cocoa Growers of Ghana , Norway.

Lanquepin, G. (2012) Algorithms for Dynamic Pricing and Lot Sizing, Norway.

Qin, F.F. (2012) Essays on Efficient Operational Strategy of Urban Rail Transit, Norway.

Qian, F.B. (2012) Passenger Risk Minimization in Helicopter Transportation for the Offshore Petroleum Industry , Norwary.

Bø, O. (2012) Aspects of Production Tracking Systems in the Supply Network for Caught Seafood , Norway.

Yue, X. (2010) Competition and Cooperation: a Game theoretic Analysis on the Development of Norwegian Continental shelf, Norway.

Shyshou, A. (2010) Vessel Planning in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations , Norway.

Thapalia, B.K. (2010) Stochastic Single - commodity Network Design , Norway.

Bakhrankova, K. (2010) Production Planning in Continuous Process Industries: Theoretical and Optimization Issues, Norway.

Bhatta, B.P. (2009) Discrete Choice Analysis with Emphasis on Problems of Network - based Level of Service Attributes in Travel Demand Modeling , Norway.

Burki, U. (2009) Cross Cultural Effects on the Relational Governance of Buyer – Supplier Relationships: an Empirical Study of the Textile Exporting Firms of Pakistan , Norway.

Vaagen, H. (2009) Assortment Planning under Uncertainty, Norway.

Saeed, N. (2009) Competition and Cooperation among Container Terminals in Pakistan: with Emphasis on Game Theoretical Analysis, Norway.

2.5 Swedish dissertations

Chalmers University of Technology:

Almotairi, B. (2012), Integrated Logistics Platform the Context of the Port Relational Exchanges and Systematic Integration , Gothenburg.

Andersson, R. (2009), Supply Chain Resilience through Quality Management , Gothenburg.

Bankvall, L. (2011), Activity Linking in Industrial Networks , Gothenburg.

Behrends, S. (2011), Urban Freight Transport Sustainability — The Interaction of Urban Freight and Intermodal Transport , Gothenburg.

Ekwall, D. (2009), Managing Risk for Antagonistic Threats against Transport Network , Gothenburg.

Ellis, J. (2011), Assessing Safety Risks for the Sea Transport Link of a Multimodal Dangerous Goods Transport Chain , Gothenburg.

Finnsgård, C. (2013), Materials Exposure: The Interface between Materials Supply and Assembly , Gothenburg.

Fredriksson, A. (2011), Materials Supply and Production Outsourcing , Gothenburg.

Hanson, R. (2012), In - Plant Materials Supply: Supporting the Choice between Kitting and Continuous Supply , Gothenburg.

Hilletofth, P. (2010), Demand – Supply Chain Management , Gothenburg.

Hjort, K. (2013), On Aligning Returns Management with the Ecommerce Strategy to Increase Effectiveness , Gothenburg.

Ingrid, H. (2014), Organizing Purchasing and Supply Management across Company Boundaries , Gothenburg.

Ivert, L. (2012), Use of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Systems to Support Manufacturing Planning and Control Processes , Gothenburg.

Kalantari, J. (2012) Foliated Transportation Networks - Evaluating Feasibility and Potential , Gothenburg.

Kharrazi, S. (2012), Steering Based Lateral Performance Control of Long Heavy Vehicle Combinations , Gothenburg.

Lindholm, M.E., (2012) Enabling Sustainable Development of Urban Freight from a Local Authority Perspective , Gothenburg.

Mirzabeiki, V. (2013), Collaborative Tracking and Tracing — A Supply Chain Perspective , Gothenburg.

Roso, V. (2009), The Dry Port Concept , Gothenburg.

Sternberg, H. (2011), Waste in Road Transport Operations — Using Information Sharing to Increase Efficiency , Gothenburg.

Styhre, L. (2010), Capacity Utilization in Short Sea Shipping , Gothenburg.

Sundquist, V. (2014), The Role of Intermediation in Business Networks , Gothenburg.

Thörnblad, K. (2013), Mathematical Optimization in Flexible Job Shop Scheduling: Modelling, Analysis, and Case Studies , Gothenburg.

Jönköping International Business School:

Borgström, B. (2010), Supply chain strategising: Integration in practice, Jönköping.

Cui, L.G., (2012), Innovation and network development of logistics firms, Jönköping.

Skoglund, P. (2012), Sourcing decisions for military logistics in Peace Support Operations: A case study of the Swedish armed forces, Jönköping.

Jafari, H. (2014), Postponement and Logistics Flexibility in Retailing , Jönköping.

Wikner, S. (2011), Value Co - creation as Practice — On a supplier’s capabilities in the value generation process, Jönköping.

Karolinska Institute Department of Public Health Sciences:

Anund, A. (2009), Sleepiness at the Wheel , Sweden.

Linköping University:

Ekström, J. (2012), Optimization Approaches for Design of Congestion Pricing Schemes , Linköping.

Feldmann, A. (2011), A Strategic Perspective on Plants in Manufacturing Networks , Linköping.

Hansson, L. (2010), Public Procurement at the Local Government Level: Actor Roles, Discretion and Constraints in the Implementation of Public Transport Goals , Linköping.

Isaksson, K. (2014), Logistics Service Providers Going Green — A Framework for Developing Green Service Offerings , Linköping.

Lindskog, M. (2012), On Systems Thinking in Logistics Management — A Critical Perspective , Linköping.

Malmgren, M. (2010), Managing Risks in Business Critical Outsourcing: A Perspective from the Outsourcer and the Supplier , Linköping.

Martinsen, U. (2014), Towards Greener Supply Chains: Inclusion of Environmental Activities in Relationships between Logistics Service Providers and Shippers , Linköping.

Mårdh, S. (2013), Cognitive Erosion and its Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease , Linköping.

Musa, S.N. (2012), Supply Chain Risk Management: Identification, Evaluation and Mitigation Techniques , Linköping.

Olstam, J. (2009), Simulation of Surrounding Vehicles in Driving Simulators , Linköping.

Thoresson, K. (2011), To Calculate the Good Society: Cost - Benefit Analysis and the Border between Expertise and Policy in the Transport Sector , Linköping. NOT reviewed.

Linnaeus University:

Farvid, S.M. (2014), Essays on Inventory Theory , Sweden.

Samadi, R. (2010), Supply Chain Optimization and Market Coordinated Inventory , Sweden. NOT Reviewed.

Lund University:

Bagdadi, O. (2012), The Development of Methods for Detection and Assessment of Safety Critical Events in Car Driving , Lund.

Eng Larsson, F. (2014), On the Incentives to Shift to Low - Carbon Freight Transport , Lund.

Howard, C. (2013), Real - Time Allocation Decisions in Multi - Echelon Inventory Control , Lund.

Lundin, J. (2011), On Supply Chain Incentive Alignment: Insight from a Cash Supply Chain and a Trucking Service Supply Chain , Lund.

Olander, M. (2010), Logistik och Juridik. Moderna Affärsförbindelser och Kontrakt som Utmaningar för Förmögenhetsrätten, Lund. NOT Reviewed

Pazirandeh, A. (2014), Purchasing Power and Purchasing Strategies — Insights from the Humanitarian Sector , Lund.

Urciuoli, L. (2011), Security in Physical Distribution Networks: A Survey Study of Swedish Transport Operators , Lund.

Olander Roses, K. (2014), From PowerPoints to Reality - managing Strategic Change in the Paper Packaging Industry , Lund.

Sohrabpour, V. (2014), Packaging Design and Development for Supply Chain Efficiency and Effectiveness, Lund.

Abbasi, M. (2014), Exploring Themes and Challenges in Developing Sustainable Supply Chains - A Complexity Theory Perspective , Lund.

Ringsberg, H. (2013), Food Traceability in Regulated Fresh Food Supply Chains with an Emphasis on the Swedish Fishing Industry , Lund.

Beckeman, M. (2011), The Potential for Innovation in the Swedish Food Sector , Lund.

Dominic, C. (2011), Packaging Logistics Performance , Lund.

Johansson, O. (2009), On the Value of Intelligent Packaging - A Packaging Logistics Perspective , Lund.

Pålsson, H. (2009), Logistics value of using tracking data from uniquely labelled goods , Lund.

Stockholm University, Department of Psychology:

Eriksson, G. (2014), On Physical Relations in Driving: Judgments, Cognition and Perception , Stockholm.

Örebro University School of Business:

Ahlberg, J. (2012), Multi - Unit Common Value Auctions: Theory and Experiments , Örebro.

Arvidsson, S. (2010), Essays on Asymmetric Information in the Automobile Insurance Market , Örebro.

Bohlin, L. (2010), Taxation of Intermediate Goods — A CGE Analysis , Örebro.

Krüger, N. (2009), Infrastructure Investment Planning under Uncertainty , Örebro. NOT reviewed

Liu, X. (2013), Transport and Environmental Incentive Policy Instruments — Effects and Interactions , Örebro. NOT reviewed

Lodefalk, M. (2013), Tackling Barriers to Firm Trade. Liberalisation, Migration, and Servicification , Örebro.

Sund, B. (2010), Economic Evaluation, Value of Life, Stated Preference Methodology and Determinants of Risk , Örebro.

Swärdh, J. (2009), Commuting Time Choice and the Value of Travel Time , Örebro.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Rajkumar, C., Kavin, L., Luo, X. et al. Doctoral dissertations in logistics and supply chain management: a review of Nordic contributions from 2009 to 2014. Logist. Res. 9 , 5 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12159-016-0132-0

Download citation

Received : 02 November 2015

Accepted : 17 February 2016

Published : 14 March 2016

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12159-016-0132-0

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Doctoral dissertations
• Collection of articles
• Dissertation score
• Logistics and supply chain management
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Google Custom Search

Wir verwenden Google für unsere Suche. Mit Klick auf „Suche aktivieren“ aktivieren Sie das Suchfeld und akzeptieren die Nutzungsbedingungen.

Hinweise zum Einsatz der Google Suche

• Chair of Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• TUM School of Management
• Technische Universität München

Theses, Project Studies & IDPs

We welcome students to engage in state-of-the-art research projects.

For this, we supervise Bachelor and Master theses, Project Studies, and Interdisciplinary Projects (IDPs). Below you can find a list of offered topics. You can also suggest a topic of your own (areas can include but are not limited to: transportation logistics, inventory management, warehouse management, retail, supply chain management, procurement and sourcing, lot sizing or production systems).

Please consider the information below regarding the application process .

Note that since we have a high load of ongoing theses, among future applications we will favor students who have already conducted their project study at our chair.

Bachelor Theses

• A Literature Review on an Exploratory Topic  (advisor: tbd)
• Omnichannel Inventory Management for Perishable Goods: Strategies and Optimizations  (advisor:  Mahsa Nakhost )
• Analysis of Goals and Strategies in On-demand Food Delivery  (advisor: Nicolas Kuttruff )

Master Theses

Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chain Management

• Sustainable Supply Chains through Voluntary Certification and Regulatory Requirements  (advisor: Alexander Bloemer )
• Audit Collaboration to Incentivize Supply Chain Sustainability  (advisor: Alexander Bloemer )
• Geopolitics and Supply Chain Resilience   (advisor: Alexander Bloemer )
• Decomposition Methods for Service Network Design Problems under Disruption Risks  (advisor:  Kai Zhu )

Supply Chain Inventory Management

• Multi-Echelon Spare Parts Inventory Optimization  (advisor: Moritz Rettinger)

Digital Logistics and Transportation Optimization

• Enhancing Customer Selection in Decomposed Multi-Period Vehicle Routing Problems through Innovative Objective Function Formulations  (advisor: Nicolas Kuttruff )
• AGV Scheduling Optimization for Production Line Feeding  (advisor: Moritz Rettinger)

Data Science, Optimization and Reinforcement Learning in Logistics

• Data-driven Optimization in Transportation with Disruption Risks  (advisor:  Kai Zhu )
• Clustering of Point of Sales in Print Media Distribution  (advisor: Till Krieger )

Project Studies

• AI enabled knowledge sharing within manufacturing supply-chains  (advisor: tbd)
• Solving Heterogeneous VRPs with Minimum Utilization Constraints in Cooperation with SAP  (advisor: Nicolas Kuttruff )
• The Role of Digital Tools in Enabling Industrial Symbiosis  (advisor:  Chunting Liu )
• Data Analysis in Print Media Distribution  (advisor: Till Krieger )

Interdisciplinary Projects (IDPs)

Application.

If you are interested in doing your Bachelor (Master)’s Thesis at our group, then please send an e-mail (in English) to [email protected]  with the following information:

• Current Transcript of records
• Topic of Interest & Preferred starting time
• Application form (only for Master thesis applications)

Do you like to suggest a topic of your own? Please also include:

• Description of the topic

If you do not find a particular topic to apply to, please contact us for a list of further topics with application documents, specifying the field of research you are interested in: Mobility, transportation logistics, inventory management, warehouse management, retail, supply chain management, procurement and sourcing, lot sizing or production systems.

Please note: Since we have a high load of ongoing theses, among future applications we will favor those students who have passed more courses at our chair.

How to prepare a scientific manuscript?

Seminar papers as well as bachelor/master's thesis and project studies vary in length and depth. However, they share same requirements and standards with regard to format and style. We therefore summarized good practice for you in our:

Guidelines and writing tips

MS Word template

Latex template  (You can also copy the Overleaf project from this link to your own project board)

How to submit your Thesis or Project Study?

Hard copy submission:

• Bind your thesis using adhesive binding (Klebebindung) . PLEASE refrain from spiral binding (Ringbindung).
• Print your name and title at the binding spine.
• Submit TWO hard copies of your Bachelor/Master thesis and Project Study to the responsible supervisor.
• Please also consider the information given in Guidelines and writing tips

Electronic submission:

• Collect all relevant data, model and the thesis as PDF in a ZIP folder and upload it to the Moodle module, your supervisor assigns you to.
• Signature to the page  Declaration of Authorship .
• Filled form  Permission to View My Final Thesis .
• The subject of the email should be  Thesis Submission Name/Matriculation Number: xxxxxx . You may choose the file names for the thesis and all the other documents.

Master in Logistics & Supply Chain Management

You are here

Master thesis, sarikhani, omid (work in progress), pessoa de amorim, rita pereira (work in progress), hidalgo gonzález, felipe (work in progress), tas, merve nur (work in progress), ligte, jeanne svensky (work in progress), brockmann, pascal, gharani, mohammad, ferreira carvalho, afonso, teller mendez, hubert, salvatierra jima, maria gracia, de armas, kristina, malardyrova, sandara, lutz, melanie, john, oliver, de regil trava, roberto, mendez, mariuxi, zhan, ya jaz, schefers, nina, moellmann, adrian, urquia, florian.

Suggestions or feedback?

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Machine learning
• Social justice
• Black holes
• Classes and programs

Departments

• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences
• Architecture
• Political Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Centers, Labs, & Programs

• Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
• Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
• Lincoln Laboratory
• School of Architecture + Planning
• School of Engineering
• School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
• Sloan School of Management
• School of Science
• MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

Erin Bahm, Steven Parks named 2024–25 UPS Fellows

Press contact :.

Previous image Next image

The MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) has announced Erin Bahm and Steven Parks as recipients of the UPS Fellowship for the 2024–25 academic year.

Made possible by a grant from the UPS Foundation, the UPS Fellowship awards financial support to two outstanding students each year, one incoming MIT master’s student and one MIT doctoral student pursuing study relating to logistics, freight transportation, supply chain management, or a related topic.

The UPS Fellowship aims to recognize and reward excellence in these fields, and selections are awarded solely on the basis of merit. Fellows receive full tuition plus a monthly stipend.

"The UPS Fellowships exemplify MIT CTL's dedication to infusing innovation into real-world applications, upholding the highest standards of academic inquiry," says Chris Caplice, executive director of MIT CTL. "These fellowships, with the generous backing of the UPS Foundation, stand as indispensable assets in nurturing talents such as Erin and Steven. Their contributions will help to shape the future landscape of the supply chain industry."

Erin Bahm is an incoming student in the MIT Supply Chain Management master’s program who comes to CTL as a senior inventory operations analyst for Target in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she stepped into a role managing the end-to-end purchasing and positioning of multiple perishable food categories. Her strength in process improvement led to a promotion to inventory operations, where she was responsible for leading a cross-functional initiative to implement ordering optimization changes to over 300 vendors. In her role, she consulted with global supply chain partners on new process initiatives to ensure order volume accuracy and replenishment agility across networks.

Bahm earned her BS in applied engineering sciences from Michigan State University in 2020, where she also received an MIT Supply Chain Excellence Award . Since graduating, she has continued her studies with the completion of a women’s leadership course through the Yale School of Management’s Executive Education program, and she has earned a certificate through MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management . As a leader, Bahm has moderated a career development panel series, and has expanded Target's new hire mentorship program.

Steven Parks is a PhD candidate in transportation engineering at MIT, and he is also a research assistant in the MIT Megacity Logistics Lab at CTL. In the latter role, he led a 16-month research project with Amazon World-Wide Real Estate Operations, working to quantify the net traffic congestion effects of last-mile e-commerce activities at city scale. The project, for which Parks built a macroscopic traffic simulation model to estimate congestion caused by e-commerce for three major U.S. cities, led to recommendations to reduce congestion footprints published in a white paper in 2024.

"Steven's work was of critical importance for the success of the project and the reach and academic impact of the research challenge for us and our counterparts at Amazon," says Matthias Winkenbach, Parks's advisor and director of the MIT Megacity Logistics Lab. "Steven’s research is answering the question how we can best plan recurring vehicle routes for given demand patterns, road network properties, and other environmental or operational factors related to urban form. This is a highly relevant and timely question with many real-world implications for both freight logistics and passenger transportation systems."

Parks is a graduate of Santa Clara University, where he was recognized as a Johnson Scholar and earned his BS in mechanical engineering, and received his MS in transportation engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. He has been awarded the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Professor Joseph M. Sussman Best Paper Prize from the journal Frontiers in the Built Environment, and first place in the Santa Clara University Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Conference for his work on disaster relief communications.

Share this news article on:

Related links.

• MIT Supply Chain Management Master's Program
• MIT Megacity Logistics Lab
• Center for Transportation and Logistics

Related Topics

• Awards, honors and fellowships
• Graduate, postdoctoral
• Transportation
• Supply chains

Related Articles

3 Questions: Enhancing last-mile logistics with machine learning

Opening pathways for future supply chain leaders

3 Questions: Yossi Sheffi on AI and the future of the supply chain

Chris Caplice honored for creating first MicroMasters recognized by MIT

Previous item Next item

More MIT News

Study demonstrates efficacy of MIT-led Brave Behind Bars program

Read full story →

Bringing an investigator’s eye to complex social challenges

MIT announces 2024 Bose Grants

Circadian rhythms can influence drugs’ effectiveness

Ian Waitz named vice president for research

MIT scientists tune the entanglement structure in an array of qubits

• More news on MIT News homepage →

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA

• Map (opens in new window)
• Events (opens in new window)
• People (opens in new window)
• Careers (opens in new window)
• Accessibility
• Social Media Hub
• MIT on Facebook
• MIT on YouTube
• MIT on Instagram