Objectives and Guidelines for Advancing Research on Inter-Organizational Operations in the Journal of Operations Management

In today's business environment, firms must manage the intricate interdependencies between their internal operations and a broad network of external entities. Establishing and maintaining robust connections with a diverse array of stakeholders—including suppliers, customers, third-party service providers, regulatory bodies, external research and development (R&D) organizations, and academic institutions such as universities, has become essential. An interorganizational view of operations is fundamental to an accurate understanding of the context in which process development and improvement occurs, and therefore, the potential for operational actions to generate tangible outcomes. By working collaboratively with these external entities, firms can not only optimize operational performance but also foster innovation, adaptability, and sustained competitive advantage. Thus, researching the drivers, processes, and outcomes of interorganizational operations at different levels of organizations is central to the mission of the Journal of Operations Management.

While there is no formal definition of inter-organizational operations (IOO) in the operations and supply chain management literature, several related definitions exist. At JOM, we adopt the perspective provided by Oliver (1990), and akin to that of Dyer and Singh (1998), defining inter-organizational relationships as the transactions, flows, and linkages that underlie the relationships between operations in different organizations that collaborate in networks to achieve shared goals.

The landscape of interorganizational operations thus includes suppliers, customers, ecosystem partners (e.g., third-party service providers), academic entities, and policy stakeholders that often share key human, physical, and knowledge assets with firms. Such organizations exist both in local and global environments. Furthermore, inter-organizational operations (IOO) encompass not only physical, informational, and financial flows but also the movement of talent (people), ideas and knowledge, and legal rights (e.g., franchises), among other things. These flows often occur outside the conventional supplier-customer relationships, such as those involving universities, consulting firms, and other professional service or knowledge providers. In many instances, relationships among these various entities can be little more than arms-length and transactional, if they formally exist at all (i.e., in some cases, firms merely exist in a shared ecosystem). In contrast, in other instances, highly embedded operational co-dependencies are more emblematic. Indeed, operational dynamics are often shaped by both competitive and coopetitive capabilities. A prominent example of coopetition is the relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI—Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI, yet the two also compete (e.g., Microsoft Copilot vs. ChatGPT).

As a result, key domains of operational activity, including service and production, innovation, technology management, and social and environmental sustainability efforts, can be greatly influenced by interorganizational issues. When they dominate the influence of internal operational dynamics and organizational design, or the broader influence of the competitive market or industrial context (e.g., healthcare or public policy), a robust interorganizational perspective must be drawn upon to understand and predict impact on firm's operations.

The Inter-organizational Operations (IOO) Department focuses on the study of transactions, flows, and linkages between operations across distinct organizations that form chains or networks. Accordingly, submissions related to supply chain management, particularly those examining focal firms and their relationships with suppliers and/or customers, are well-suited for this department. At the same time, the department's scope also includes operational networks that differ from traditional supply chain structures. These networks can be observed in sectors such as healthcare, travel, humanitarian and charitable operations, and many other service industries, as well as in creative domains like music and art, and two-sided markets, where information systems facilitate the alignment of unique offerings with specific demands for providers and users.

Critically, however, an inter-organizational context alone does not automatically qualify a research study's fit for consideration by the IOO Department. To qualify for consideration, the research questions must clearly relate to the management of inter-organizational operations. In the IOO context, the unit of analysis should involve (explicitly or implicitly) connections between the operations of two or more organizations. These connections may occur at the individual, firm, dyad, or network level. While work can focus on relationships between organizations at various levels, relationships between individuals, such as supply chain executives, that influence inter-organizational dynamics are also relevant to IOO research. Governance mechanisms and power dynamics are also of relevance to IOO. In the context of IOO, power may reside not only in economies of scale, specialized resources, and knowledge of an organization relative to its partners, but also in individuals or professionals possessing specialized skills.

Moreover, as firms' connections with external entities continue to expand in both scope and diversity, the IOO domain increasingly intersects with various research topics and departments within the Journal of Operations Management. For example, sustainable supply chain management—including closed-loop supply chains—is a representative area of overlap. In the healthcare sector, material expenses have become the second-largest cost component and may soon surpass labor costs, underscoring the growing strategic importance of healthcare supply chain management, an IOO topic that is also central to the healthcare operations department. Additionally, care coordination between healthcare entities serves as another significant example of inter-organizational operations that can meaningfully affect patient outcomes. Finally, while the development and implementation of technology in supply chains is typically viewed as a technology management issue, its role in connecting entities across the supply chain also places it within the scope of inter-organizational operations. Here, IOO emphasizes the mechanisms and implications for coordination across organizational boundaries on a focal organization's processes or systems, and consequent outcomes.

What is not IOO? With specific regard to topics that may not fit IOO department, studies focusing on relationships between supply chain entities (individuals, teams, or units) and actors (e.g., individual consumers) that do not directly affect OM decisions of the organization, or settings where the individuals are not decision-makers for the organization, would fall outside the scope of the IOO department. Similarly, regarding the technologies that link organizations, research focused solely on the development and implementation of a supply chain or inter-organizational technology is generally not within the scope of IOO. However, studies that examine the process changes and governance mechanisms that enable the effective use of such technology across organizational boundaries would be considered relevant to IOO.

With respect to inter-entity collaboration or coordination in the healthcare sector, if such collaboration is primarily driven by clinical decision-making, it may be more appropriately addressed within the healthcare operations management department. However, studies that investigate the operational or non-clinical coordination mechanisms and processes aimed at improving the efficiency and throughput of inter-provider flows (e.g., patient transfers) would fall within the IOO scope.

Submissions to the IOO department will be evaluated in terms of the manuscript's fit, and the manuscript's theoretical contribution, and practical managerial insights in line with editorial policies advanced by the journal.

We hope this editorial can serve as a useful resource for authors by outlining clear expectations for publication consideration in terms of topic fit and contributions. Reviewers and Associate Editors can also benefit from this editorial as these expectations can guide their assessment of the manuscript submitted to the IOO department. Given the breadth of relevant topics and the diversity of acceptable methodological approaches in IOO research, we encourage authors to be intentional and thoughtful in framing the contribution of their work to the IOO department.

We recognize that not every scenario can be fully addressed in a single editorial, and we invite authors who encounter unique cases to contact the IOO department editors for further guidance. Our role is to support authors in positioning their research and guiding the progress of their research throughout the review process for a meaningful impact and contribution.