A model of supply chain and supply chain decision‐making complexity

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to develop a comprehensive model of supply chain and supply chain decision‐making complexity that provides an understanding of the drivers of supply chain complexity and strategies to manage supply chain and supply chain decision‐making complexity and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded theory methodology is employed to build a theory of supply chain and supply chain decision‐making complexity and develop propositions related to antecedents, moderators, and outcomes of supply chain complexity. In addition, extensive literature review and informal interactions with a number of supply chain professionals have been used to validate the theory. Findings – In addition to identifying the antecedents of supply chain complexity, the authors explore strategic, human cognitive ability, and tactical moderators for managing supply chain complexity. Research limitations/implications – The comprehensive framework presented in the paper builds a theory of supply chain and supply chain decision‐making complexity that is grounded in empirical data. The research also incorporates disparate findings, constructs from multi‐disciplinary research on supply chain complexity and provides future research directions. Practical implications – The research helps practitioners better understand the sources and outcomes of supply chain complexity and how to manage it. Various strategies to moderate the impact of supply chain complexity are presented. Originality/value – An integrated, comprehensive theory of supply chain complexity is proposed along with definitions of supply chain complexity and supply chain decision‐making complexity. The proposed model is rooted in actual practice and supported by the existing literature.