Trends and challenges in operations strategy research: Findings from a systematic literature review

Operations strategy is a mature field and requires novel insights for further research and practitioners in companies. To fill this gap, 280 articles were analyzed, by way of a systematic literature review, considering two approaches: topic perspectives (content, process, and competitive priorities), and research paradigms (analysis perspective, general methodology, research design, research typology, and alternative paradigms). Eight challenges were identified and discussed to make novel contributions to cutting-edge knowledge. Among other things, it was found that people’s perceptions of object reality prevail as the dominant paradigm, regarding the source and type of information used. In this sense, the literature suggests additional investigation through the direct observation of object reality and experimental studies, in which the action research approach could play an important role as an alternative paradigm. Additionally, considering Industry 4.0 advances, new research opportunities have emerged which permit artificial reconstruction of object reality to support decision-making. The main contribution of this study is to discuss eight challenges by which to improve research relevance and make both academic and practical contributions. Moreover, several useful data for researchers are provided, including statistics regarding response rates in survey research (dominant paradigm). Finally, these findings can be used to perform further research with additional functional strategies in the companies.