Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse how theories evolve within scientific fields: why they receive attention and why they eventually become less attractive. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a literature review and focusses on the theoretical structure developed by...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development of research based on the IMP approach during the four decades since the inauguration in 1976. The paper presents a network analysis of IMP research based on one of the central IMP frameworks: the ARA model....

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of uncertainty in purchasing and supply management, and the changes of this role over time. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a literature review of the development of purchasing and supply management over time and how...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the shifting perspectives on the organising and the managing of “distribution”, characterised as channels, systems or networks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a review of previous research, identifying...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an historical account of the evolution of the purchasing and supply management (PSM) field from the perspective of resource interfaces between buying firms and their suppliers. This historical account is then used as a platform to develop a...

Purpose – Previous studies of innovation policy claim that there is a mismatch between the underlying assumptions of these policies and the reality of how firms involved in innovation operate. The purpose of this paper is to deepen the knowledge of actual innovation processes in order to...