Ssrn-Id989744 - Analysis of Supply Chain

An Analysis of the Value of Supply Chain Management Periodicals for
Teaching, Research, and Outreach Purposes
by
David A. Menachof*
Cass Business School
City University, London
Brian J. Gibson
Auburn University
Joe B. Hanna
Auburn University
and
Anthony E Whiteing
Leeds University
1 March 2007
David A Menachof (PhD, University of Tennessee) is Senior Lecturer of International Logistics

and Distribution at Cass Business School, City University, London.
Brian J. Gibson (PhD. University of Tennessee) is Professor of Supply Chain Management at
Auburn University.
Joe B. Hanna (PhD, New Mexico State University) is Professor of Supply Chain Management
at Auburn University.
Anthony E Whiteing (PhD, University of Leeds) is Senior Lecturer in Logistics and Transport
at Leeds University
_____________________________________________________________________________
*Correspondence: David A. Menachof, International Logistics and Distribution, Cass Business
School, City University, London, UK; Tel: +44 0207 040 8742; Fax: +44 0207 040 8328; Email: d.menachof@city.ac.uk
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=989744
Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing
INTRODUCTION
Periodical evaluation and ranking studies provide multiple benefits for the academic
community. These benchmarks can be used to assist in the assessment of faculty research
performance for annual review, merit pay increases, and promotion and/or tenure decisions
(Ford, LaTour, and Henthorne, 2001; Murphy 1998, Hult, Neese and Bashaw 1997). Rating and
ranking research also provides valuable inputs for university faculty and library personnel
needing to optimize limited resources for periodical subscription purchases (Nisonger 1993).
Finally, publishing in the periodicals identified in these studies helps faculty members
demonstrate research competence in their primary field and maintain academic qualifications by
accreditation agency standards (AACSB International, 2007).
Historically, these periodical evaluation and ranking studies have focused on academic
journals and their research attributes. Issues of perceived journal quality, relative importance or
impact, and relevancy took center stage in the assessment processes. While valuable, these
traditional, narrow studies do not consider the value and use of supply chain management
periodicals for other pertinent purposes such as student instruction and industry interaction.
More recent research of supply chain management (SCM) periodicals focused on a
broader perspective. One set of studies adopted a methodology consistent with the tri-fold
mission of most academic institutions of higher learning, examining the value of periodicals in
relation to the teaching duties, outreach activities, and research endeavors of educator in the
United States (Gibson & Hanna 2000, 2003) and worldwide (Gibson, Hanna & Menachof, 2001,
2004). Another study by Rutner and Fawcett (2005) studied both educator and practitioner
perspectives regarding supply chain-related periodicals on the basis of article quality, impact on
the discipline, relevancy, readability, timeliness of topics, theoretical vs. application orientation,
and variety of topics covered.
While these results have been reported recently, the actual data collection for this group
of supply chain periodical studies occurred between 2000 and 2004. Since then, the supply chain
discipline has continued to grow and evolve. Professional organizations (e.g., Council of Supply
Chain Management Professionals) and conferences (e.g., Supply Chain Management Educators
Conference) have adjusted their focus and missions. University logistics programs have adopted
a broader supply chain focus. Also, specialized and cross-disciplinary focused periodicals have
emerged. Finally, current insights regarding supply chain periodicals are needed for the
upcoming 2007 Research Assessment Exercise in the United Kingdom.
In light of these rapid changes occurring in the SCM discipline, an updated study of
perceptions regarding SCM periodical value and usefulness would be beneficial. Our research
sought to address the situation through an online survey that was conducted in 2006. Nearly 150
SCM educators from North America, Europe, and other regions took part in the research. This
paper provides insights into the educators evaluations. Following a brief literature review, key
results are discussed, and major implications are presented. The paper concludes with a summary
of research limitations and opportunities for future study.
Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=989744
LITERATURE REVIEW
Credit for the first periodical ranking study is generally given to Gross and Gross (1927)
who performed a citation ranking of specialty periodicals in chemistry (Nisonger, 1993). Since
that time numerous studies have been conducted as well as critiques of the research
methodologies. Previous studies provide thorough and accurate historical reviews of studies in
multiple disciplines, including logistics and SCM. Hence, the focus here is not to repeat the prior
work. Instead the focus will be on a brief overview of the ranking study methodology options
and the focus of the periodical evaluations.
In general, periodical ranking studies have followed either a citation-based analysis or
survey-based format for examining specialty journals. Each methodology has its strengths, as
well as ardent supporters and opponents.
Citation-based analyses generally focus on the number of times published research from a
specialty journal is cited as a source in other published research. One of the primary advantages
cited by researchers using citation-based research to analyze periodicals is its relative objectivity
when compared to the more highly subjective nature of analysis of periodicals based on survey
results (Laband and Piette, 1994; Liebowitz and Palmer, 1984). However, citation-based
research has also been criticized for a variety of reasons including incompleteness and a
tendency to evaluate periodical impact or influence as opposed to quality or excellence (Davis,
1998; Beed and Beed, 1996).
Emerging methods for citation-based research may lead to additional criticism and
confusion. Bollen, Rodriguez, and Van de Sompel (2006) suggest that as an ever growing
collection of scholarly materials becomes available on the Web, and hence becomes searchable
through Google and Google Scholar, perceptions of article status (and hence of journal status)
may change. Citation rating lists created via the PageRank driven manner, the method by which
Google lists its search results, will not be consistent with the traditional ISI or SSCI Citation
Indexes.
From a SCM standpoint, it can be difficult to employ the traditional citation-based
methodology. Carter (2002) pointed out that, at the time, no journals explicitly dedicated to the
field of SCM are included in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). Since then only three
dedicated journals have SSCI ratings, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal
(0.831), Transportation Research: Part E-Logistics and Transportation Review (0.345) and
Transportation Journal (0.077). Working without the luxury of a tool like the SSCI, Kumar and
Kwon (2004) produced a citation-based pilot study logistics related journals. Journal of Business
Logistics, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management,
Transportation Journal, Production and Inventory Management Journal, and Journal of Supply
Chain Management were the top 5 journals in their study. However, their efforts only covered
one year and 19 periodicals.
The other primary method of periodical assessment, survey-based analyses, attempts to
measure the perceptions of experts in a specific field. While a variety of methodologies have
been used, the basic procedure is to send a sample of experts a questionnaire, request they
complete and return the survey, and analyze the data in a manner that provides a combined rating
or ranking of specialty periodicals. One often cited advantage of this method is the use of a
sample of knowledgeable experts to identify the periodicals considered to have the highest
prestige or quality. Conversely, one primary disadvantage of this type of investigation is the
inherently subjective nature of survey research (Cudd and Morris, 1988).
Survey-based analysis, have been more widely used than citation-based analysis in
studies of SCM-focused periodicals. Starting with Daniel and Jones (1975), this method has been
used multiple times over the last 30 years. Subsequent studies by Ferguson (1983), Fawcett,
Vellenga, and Truitt (1995), Gibson and Hanna (2001, 2003), Gibson, Hanna, and Menachof
(2001, 2004), Rutner and Fawcett (2005), and Spens, Kovacs, and Vellenga (2006) have all
focused on expert perspectives regarding periodical importance, value, and/or usefulness.
As stated earlier, many studies focused the relative importance of publications from an
academic research standpoint. However, not all periodicals are designed solely as outlets for
academic research but rather for a wide range of purposes (Mason and Steagall, 1997). Hence,
studies in several business disciplines (Henthorne, LaTour, and Loraas, 1998; Hult, Neese, and
Bashaw, 1997; Mason and Steagall, 1997; Nisonger, 1993; Hull and Wright, 1990) have made a
very strong case for the periodic review of both academic and practitioner periodicals to help
determine the value each outlet provides to educators. These calls for more inclusive evaluations
have been heeded by studies over the past 12 years (Fawcett, Vellenga, and Truitt (1995);
Gibson and Hanna (2001, 2003); Gibson, Hanna, and Menachof (2001, 2004); and, Rutner and
Fawcett (2005) which have broadened the scope of evaluation criteria used and expanded the
types of periodicals under investigation.
Our study follows the current direction of periodical evaluation research survey based
analysis that focuses on multiple uses of the publications. Not only is it a widely accepted and
employed strategy, it is consistent with the objectives of our study, which is to evaluate the use
of SCM periodicals for research, teaching, and outreach activities. Our research methodology is
described in detail below.
METHODOLOGY
The research methodology involved multiple steps. The methodology included: an
updated literature review of previous journal evaluation studies including Gibson, Hanna &
Menachof (2004); definition of the research population as the discipline focus now encompasses
SCM; identification of periodicals germane to the SCM discipline; design and testing the survey
instrument; and, data collection and analysis.
Potential study participants educators at four-year colleges and universities on a global
basis - were identified via numerous sources. First, attendee lists from the most recent Supply
Chain Management Educators Conference (2005 and 2006), and the Logistics Research Network
Annual Conference held in the UK (2005) were used to create an initial database. Next,
additional names and addresses were gathered from professional organization directories (e.g.,
Council of Logistics Management, American Society of Transportation and Logistics, Logistics
Research Network, EUROMA, and NOFOMA). Finally, the researchers added names and
addresses from their personal contact lists, university web sites, and recent journal articles that
identified logistics authors (Miyazaki, Phillips, and Phillips, 1999; Gentry, Allen, and Vellenga,
1995). Invitations to complete the survey were sent to the Logprofs, LRN, EUROMA, and
NOFOMA mail lists.
Multiple sources were used to identify periodicals that are of interest to SCM educators.
Periodical lists from previous studies, searches of online databases, and insights from SCM
educators were used to create a publication list for participants to evaluate. This list contained 82
major supply chain management periodicals. However, participants were also allowed to write-in
any other periodicals that they deemed important. Participants were also allowed to evaluate
periodicals not on the list. Appendix A provides a complete listing of all 87 that were evaluated.
The original 2001 survey used a four-page questionnaire developed using a design similar
to Hult, Neese, and Bashaw (1997). This time, an online survey was developed using software at
questionpro.com. The instrument was tested and revised to improve clarity and ease of
completion. There were only 2 incidents of respondents being unable to complete the online
survey. A couple of others needed only a minor hint on holding down the CTRL key to select
multiple journals.
Potential respondents were referred to the www.logistics100.com website to access the
online survey. 386 attempts were made to start the survey. 143 surveys were completed for a
conversion rate of 37%. This compares favorably to the 80 responses received in the 2001
survey. Table 1 highlights the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their
respective institutions. There are several notable trends. First, the overall academic status of the
participants has increased. 70% are at the Associate Professor or higher ranking compared 66%
in the previous survey. Secondly, 72% are tenured, compared with only 52% in 2000. Finally,
there is a distinct trend towards the balanced mission of teaching, research, and outreach by the
majority of respondents.
The geographical distribution shows a clear bias towards the United States and United
Kingdom, but that was to be expected (See Figure 1) as the focus is on English language
journals. However, there is a very good distribution from around the world showing the
increasing diversity of our peer group of SCM educators.
TABLE 1
SURVEY RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
Characteristic
Percent of Respondents
2006
Percent of Respondents
2000
39.0
31.6
20.6
3.7
5.1
48.1
18.5
33.3
Academic Rank
Professor/Reader
Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer
Assistant Professor/Lecturer
Ph. D. Candidate
Other
Tenure Status
Tenured/Permanent
On tenure track
Not on tenure track
72.4
17.2
10.4
51.9
42.6
5.6
Primary Mission of Institution

Research
Teaching
Balanced
28.1
4.4
67.4
40.7
16.7
42.6
Figure 1
Respondents were also asked about their main field of specialization. Nearly threequarters of respondents consider SCM their main focus. This helps in validating the survey
results to be sure that they reflect the group of academics targeted. (See Figure 2)
Figure 2
RESEARCH FINDINGS
Three primary survey questions were used to address the key goals of this study.
Participants were asked to identify the ten periodicals they use most frequently in each of three
activities teaching, research, and outreach. Then, the participants were asked to evaluate the
periodicals on a variety of criteria, including the quality of articles and the overall value of the
publication to their efforts. A summary and analysis of these results can be found below.
Use of Periodicals in Research

The survey respondents use a wide variety of resources in their research activities (e.g.
generating a research agenda, conducting literature reviews, and other related events). Seventyfour unique periodicals were identified with each of the 143 respondents identifying just over 7
specific journals (mean = 7.33). Respondents rated their preferred journals on a five-point Likert
scale (1 = low to 5 = high) for three factors:
Quality of articles
Impact on discipline
Value to your research
A research usefulness index (RUI) score was calculated using the proportion of responses
related to each specific periodical and the mean overall rating for the three factors listed above.
For example, the International Journal of Logistics Management was identified 77 times as a key
research periodical out of 1048 total periodical identifications and ratings. Its mean ratings of
3.974 for quality of articles, 3.870 for impact on the discipline, and 4.0260 for value to
your research produce a mean overall rating of 3.957. The resulting RUI score of 27.0713 was
calculated as:
[(77 / 1048) x 100] x [(3.974+3.870+4.0260) / 3]
Table 2 provides information regarding the 25 periodicals with the highest RUI score (a
complete listing of all RUI scores can be found in the Appendix).
The status of the Journal of Business Logistics is clear as it topped the list for Research,
earning a large number of mentions along with a high mean overall rating. 69% of respondents
listed it as one of their 10 most used journals. The mean overall rating was also one of the
highest for the top ranked journals. Operations Research actually had a slightly higher mean
overall rating, but was only cited by 13 respondents, resulting in a much lower RUI score. JBL
continues to stand out statistically (and practically) as the most useful journal for the research
activities of the responding SCM educators. The International Journal of Physical Distribution
and Logistics Management, and International Journal of Logistics Management were the only
other journals to be cited by more than 50% of the respondents. The only non-academic
periodical to join this highly ranked group of journals was Supply Chain Management Review.
The high RUI score for this publication is indicative of the continued importance of supply chain
strategy, activities, and processes to SCM educators.
Compared to the 2001 surveys, four of the 10 top-rated journals were on both the US and
European lists. These were International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics
Management, International Journal of Logistics Management, Journal of Business Logistics and
Harvard Business Review. They continue to rate high on this list.
This years survey shows an interesting change. The surge in RUI scores for Operations
Management/Operations Research journals. There are now 7 in the top 25. In 2001, the
rankings had none of these journals in the top 10 in Europe or the US (See Gibson, Hanna &
Menachof 2004). The Journal of Operations Management has moved to 4th in the list, with
Management Science in 8th, International Journal of Operations and Production Management
(11th), International Journal of Operations and Production Management (14th), European Journal
of Operational Research (17th), Decision Sciences (18th) and Operations Research (21st). This
might indicate the wider scope of Supply Chain Management and the maturity the research
within the field.
There continue to be a number of general management journals in the list, most notably
Harvard Business Review and Sloan Management Review. This continues to attest to the crossdisciplinary and supply chain research orientation of the respondents.
TABLE 2
EVALUATION OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PERIODICALS
FOR RESEARCH USEFULNESS
Periodical Title
Journal of Business Logistics 0735-3766

International Journal of Physical Distribution
and Logistics Management 0960-0035
International Journal of Logistics
Management 0957-4093
Journal of Operations Management 02726963
Supply Chain Management Review
Transportation Journal 0041-1612
Harvard Business Review 0017-8012
Management Science 0025-1909
Transportation Research: Part E, Logistics
and Transportation Review 1366-5545
Supply Chain Management: An International
Journal 1359-8546
International Journal of Operations and
Production Management 0144-3577
International Journal of Logistics: Research
and Applications 1367-5567
Journal of Marketing 0022-2429
European Journal of Operational Research
0377-2217
Decision Sciences 0011-7315
Journal of Supply Chain Management - A
Global Review of Purchasing and Supply
1523-2409
Sloan Management Review 0019-848X
Operations Research 0030-364x
Journal of Purchasing & Supply
Management 1478-4092 (Formerly European
JPSM)
Industrial Marketing Management 0019-8501
Academy of Management Journal 0001-4273
Transportation Science 0041-1655
Journal of Marketing Research 0022-2437
Strategic Management Journal 0143-2095
Journal of Transportation Management
(Delta Nu Alpha)
Number of Mean
Responses Quality
Rating
Mean
Impact
Rating
Mean
Value
Rating
Mean
Overall
Rating
Research
Usefulness
Index
98
4.439
4.582
4.429
4.483
41.921
87
3.954
4.000
4.046
4.000
33.206
77
3.974
3.870
4.026
3.957
29.071
47
4.362
4.277
4.106
4.248
19.052
50
45
40
34
3.580
4.178
3.900
4.706
3.960
3.978
4.100
4.324
3.700
4.089
3.875
4.147
3.747
4.081
3.958
4.392
17.875
17.525
15.108
14.249
36
4.111
3.944
4.083
4.046
13.899
36
3.694
3.472
3.583
3.583
12.309
33
3.909
3.667
3.727
3.768
11.864
32
3.781
3.719
3.844
3.781
11.546
22
4.636
4.182
4.364
4.394
9.224
26
3.846
3.423
3.692
3.654
9.065
25
3.920
3.320
3.480
3.573
8.524
20
3.650
3.400
3.650
3.567
6.807
18
13
3.889
4.615
3.667
4.385
3.833
4.462
3.796
4.487
6.520
5.566
16
3.563
3.563
3.563
3.563
5.439
16
12
11
10
10
3.688
4.583
4.455
4.800
4.300
3.375
3.750
3.909
4.200
4.100
3.563
4.083
4.455
4.200
4.300
3.542
4.139
4.273
4.400
4.233
5.407
4.739
4.485
4.198
4.039
11
3.455
3.727
3.909
3.697
3.880
Use of Periodicals in Teaching

The survey respondents use a narrower group of resources for their teaching activities
(e.g. preparing for class, assigning readings to students, and other related events). Seventy-eight
unique periodicals were identified with each of the 143 respondents identifying almost six
specific journals (mean = 5.81). Respondents rated their preferred journals on a five-point Likert
scale (1 = low to 5 = high) for three factors:
Quality of articles
Readability of articles
Value to your teaching
A teaching usefulness index (TUI) score was calculated using the proportion of responses
related to each specific periodical and the mean overall rating for the three factors listed above.
For example, Supply Chain Management Review was identified 59 times as a key teaching
periodical out of 831 total periodical identifications and ratings. Its mean ratings of 4.305 for
quality of articles, 4.441 for readability of articles and 4.610 for value to your teaching
produce a mean overall rating of 4.452. The resulting TUI score of 31.609 was calculated as:
[(59 / 831) x 100] x [(4.305 + 4.441 + 4.610) / 3]
Table 3 provides information regarding the 25 periodicals with the highest TUI score (a
complete listing of all TUI scores can be found in the Appendix).
The analysis revealed that three periodicals - Journal of Business Logistics, Supply Chain
Management Review, and Harvard Business Review remain the most widely touted journals as
useful tools in the respondents teaching activities. These three periodicals were rated similarly
and significantly higher than the other publications cited by the respondents. The heavy reliance
on these publications suggests that SCM educators are bringing supply chain and general
business issues to the classroom, in addition to the more traditional logistics topics. This
broadened exposure should help students understand the broader implications of logistics and
supply chain decisions and strategies.
Another noteworthy finding was the high TUI scores for several practitioner-oriented
publications, including Supply Chain Management Review. Interestingly, American Shipper and
Containerisation International add an international maritime flavor to the list. In fact, seven of
the top 25 highest TUI scores were received by industry-focused publications. It is obvious that
current events, global supply chain issues, emerging strategies, and specific industry issues
receive their fair share of coverage in classes today.
TABLE 3
FOR TEACHING USEFULNESS
Periodical Title
Percent of Mean
Mean
Responses Quality Readability
Rating
Rating
Mean
Value
Rating
Mean
Teaching
Overall Usefulness
Rating
Index
87
4.586
4.402
4.713
4.567
47.814
69
4.435
3.957
4.348
4.246
35.259
59
4.305
4.441
4.610
4.452
31.609
55
4.273
3.909
4.364
4.182
27.677
48
4.208
4.063
4.167
4.146
23.947
Wall Street Journal
40
4.175
4.625
4.375
4.392
21.139
40
4.150
4.100
4.450
4.233
20.377
California Management Review 0008-1256
24
4.208
4.208
4.500
4.306
12.435

Logistics Today (formerly Transportation &
Distribution) 1547-1438
Journal 1359-8546
23
3.913
3.522
3.870
3.768
10.429
20
3.850
4.400
4.250
4.167
10.028
19
4.000
4.000
4.158
4.053
9.266
18
4.278
4.111
4.333
4.241
9.186
18
4.278
4.333
4.111
4.241
9.186

1523-2409
16
4.063
4.375
4.188
4.208
8.103
15
4.333
3.467
4.067
3.956
7.140

14
4.071
3.643
3.786
3.833
6.458
Interfaces 0926-2644
12
4.000
4.000
3.917
3.972
5.736
American Shipper 1074-8350
11
3.909
4.545
4.545
4.333
5.736
12
4.250
3.417
4.167
3.944
5.696
Containerisation International 0010-7379
10
3.800
4.400
4.200
4.133
4.974

4.556
4.111
4.111
4.259
4.613
Logistics Europe 0968-9001
4.000
4.111
4.333
4.148
4.493
10
3.100
4.100
3.600
3.600
4.332
3.778
4.111
4.000
3.963
4.292
4.250
4.500
4.375
4.375
4.212
International Journal of Physical

Distribution and Logistics Management
0960-0035
Logistics and Transport Focus 1466-836X

JPSM)
(Delta Nu Alpha)
10
Use of Periodicals in Outreach

The survey respondents use a wide array of resources for their outreach activities (e.g.
advising organizations, developing training programs, preparing presentations, and other related
events). Seventy-five unique periodicals were identified with each of the 143 respondents
identifying just over 5 specific journals (mean = 5.41). Respondents rated their preferred
journals on a five-point Likert scale (1 = low to 5 = high) for three factors:
Quality of articles
Relevance of articles
Value to your outreach
An outreach usefulness index (OUI) score was calculated using the proportion of
responses related to each specific periodical and the mean overall rating for the three factors
listed above. For example, the International Journal of Logistics Management was identified 21
times as a key outreach periodical out of 774 total periodical identifications and ratings. Its mean
ratings of 3.952 for quality of articles, 4.000 for relevance of articles and 3.714 for value to
your outreach produce a mean overall rating of 3.889. The resulting OUI score of 10.551 was
calculated as:
[(21 / 774) x 100] x [(3.952 + 4.000 + 3.714) / 3]
Table 4 provides information regarding the 25 periodicals with the highest OUI scores.
The OUI score results presented in Table 4 nearly mirror those of the TUI score exhibits.
The top 5 are identical to the TUI results (Harvard Business Review, the Journal of Business
Logistics, Supply Chain Management Review, IJPDLM and IJLM) and show little change from
the 2001 survey. Again, similar to the TUI results, several practitioner-oriented journals made
the list.
Composite Rating of Periodical Usefulness

For the purpose of identifying the most important SCM periodicals overall, the RUI
score, TUI score, and OUI score for each publication was added together. The composite scores
for the top 35 periodicals are presented in Table 5 (a complete listing of all overall index scores
can be found in the Appendix). Overall, the Journal of Business Logistics, Harvard Business
Review and International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management received
the highest composite usefulness scores. Academic journals occupied eight of the top ten
positions. The composite rating made no attempt to set unequal weightings between Research,
Teaching and Outreach usefulness.
11
TABLE 4
FOR OUTREACH USEFULNESS
Periodical Title
Percent of
Responses
79
Mean
Quality
Rating
4.633
61
4.459
4.311
4.213
4.328
34.109
59
4.186
4.525
4.458
4.390
33.463

47
4.149
4.191
4.000
4.113
24.978
45
4.067
4.156
4.022
4.081
23.730
36
4.361
3.972
4.167
4.167
19.380
31
4.226
3.935
4.000
4.054
16.236
Wall Street Journal
28
4.107
4.036
4.321
4.155
15.030
19
4.316
4.579
4.316
4.404
10.810

Journal 1359-8546
20
3.800
4.400
4.250
4.150
10.724
21
3.952
4.000
3.714
3.889
10.551
19
3.947
3.842
3.895
3.895
9.561
15
4.067
3.933
4.200
4.067
7.881
14
4.143
4.143
4.214
4.167
7.537
13
4.000
4.231
4.385
4.205
7.063
14
4.214
3.571
3.714
3.833
6.934

1523-2409
13
3.846
4.077
4.154
4.026
6.761
13
3.308
3.846
4.154
3.769
6.331
11
3.636
4.455
4.273
4.121
5.857
OR/MS Today 1085-1038
12
3.583
3.667
3.417
3.556
5.512

10
4.300
4.200
4.300
4.267
5.512
11
3.727
3.636
3.455
3.606
5.125
3.444
3.889
4.000
3.778
4.393
Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management

1478-4092 (Formerly European JPSM)
4.000
4.250
4.250
4.167
4.307
4.250
3.875
4.000
4.042
4.177
12
Mean
Mean
Mean
Outreach
Relevance Value Overall Usefulness
Rating
Rating Rating Index Score
4.253
4.481
4.456
45.478
TABLE 5
COMPOSITE RATINGS OF
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PERIODICALS
Periodical Title
Research
Usefulness
Index
Outreach
Usefulness
Index
Teaching
Usefulness
Index
Composite
Usefulness
index
41.921
15.108
34.109
45.478
35.259
47.814
111.288
108.400
International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics

33.206
24.978
27.677
85.862
17.875
29.071
6.520
3.531
17.525
33.463
23.730
19.380
15.030
10.810
31.609
23.947
20.377
21.139
9.186
82.946
76.748
46.277
39.700
37.521
International Journal of Logistics: Research and

Applications 1367-5567
11.546
10.551
10.429
32.526
International Journal of Logistics Management 0957-4093

Wall Street Journal
3.499
16.236
12.435
32.170
Supply Chain Management: An International Journal

1359-8546
12.309
9.561
9.266
31.136
Journal of Operations Management 0272-6963
19.052
3.359
5.696
28.107
Transportation Research: Part E, Logistics and

Transportation Review 1366-5545
13.899
5.512
4.613
24.025
International Journal of Operations and Production

11.864
5.125
6.458
23.447
9.224
1.972
5.407
6.934
10.724
7.881
7.140
10.028
9.186
23.298
22.724
22.474
Journal of Supply Chain Management - A Global Review

of Purchasing and Supply 1523-2409
6.807
6.761
8.103
21.671
14.249
3.244
1.463
4.177
7.537
7.063
2.928
5.736
5.736
21.355
16.517
14.262
Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management 1478-4092

(Formerly European JPSM)
5.439
4.307
4.292
14.038
European Journal of Operational Research 0377-2217
9.065
1.495
1.590
2.131
8.524
4.739
1.120
5.857
6.331
4.393
1.895
2.756
2.246
4.974
4.332
4.493
0.241
3.089
12.431
12.326
12.253
11.016
10.660
10.584
3.372
2.799
4.051
10.222
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 0092-0703
3.880
3.276
2.958
0.541
2.640
1.895
3.359
3.402
5.512
3.661
4.212
3.049
2.728
3.008
2.487
9.987
9.684
9.088
9.062
8.788
Maritime Economics and Logistics (formerly International

Journal of Maritime Economics) 1479-2931
2.513
2.326
3.730
8.569

Logistics Today (formerly Transportation & Distribution)


International Journal of Retail and Distribution
Journal of Transportation Management (Delta Nu Alpha)
Supply Chain Forum: an International Journal 1625-8312
Maritime Policy and Management 0308-8839
13
Search Engine Usage Initial Trends

An attempt was made to find out which search engines/databases academics are using to
find their data. Not all journals are indexed on all databases. As academics, we become
somewhat constrained by the subscriptions of our learning resource centers (previously called
libraries).
Although many of our learning resource centers participate in an intra-library loan
program, for teaching and outreach purposes, these are generally not used. For research,
requests made through the intra-library loan program take weeks to return results. For this
reason, it is important to find out where we are looking to find the information germane to our
research, teaching and outreach. Journal publishers will also this information of interest.
Figure 3 shows results that indicate that EBSCO Business Source Premier is used
extensively or moderately by over 70% of the respondents. Closely followed by ProQuest.
The relatively new Google Scholar has also been used by the majority of respondents.
Other databases mentioned by several respondents include ABI/Inform, Elsevier Science Direct
and Web of Science.
Figure 3
14
RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS
As an update to the 2001 survey, we have found that there is still a perceived difference
in the way in which journals are used. This research, again, asked participants to evaluate the
periodicals on a wider range of issues (research, teaching, and outreach). This research
purposely included a more inclusive list of periodicals (including practitioner or trade
publications, editor reviewed journals, and cross-disciplinary periodicals). These methodological
modifications produced some very interesting findings that are not constrained by the myopic
view that only research issues and peer-reviewed journals are useful to educators.
The obviously important outcomes of the study are the rankings of journals germane to
the SCM discipline found in Tables 2, 3, 4, and 5. It is likely that some readers will use these
results as a benchmark for evaluating their own publication performance and the performance of
junior faculty that are pursuing promotion and tenure. These results may also be used by nonSCM faculty who are attempting to evaluate their fellow educators who are not publishing in the
mainstream management journals. Although some institutions are looking solely towards ISI
citation index rated publications, this survey can help in the relative value of non-ISI rated
journals compared to the few that are rated in SCM.
The study also produced a number of noteworthy results. These findings include: the
importance of non-refereed publications to the respondents; the emergence of specific
publications as very important to the respondents; the vast changes in the rating/ranking of many
publications from previous studies; and, an analysis of SCM publications for teaching and
outreach activities. Each finding is briefly discussed below.
Emergence of global rankings This study provides the first truly global ranking of
journals in SCM. The previous survey by Gibson, Hanna and Menachof (2004) was
divided between US and EU groupings. This is a single combined survey. In the UK, the
RAE rates faculty as to their research output. Internationally recognized peer-reviewed
journals are the key to higher ratings. This survey provides the support for what is
considered high quality internationally peer-reviewed SCM journals. Journal of Business
Logistics, Harvard Business Review, International Journal of Physical Distribution and
Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management Review and International Journal of
Logistics Management are the top 5 journals overall. Clearly these five publications are
respected on a global level. Also confirming the validity of this study is the fact all of the
logistics journals listed by the University of Sidney (2003) as tier 1 journals are ranked
on our list. The top 10 of Scandinavian rankings list by Spens, Kovacs, and Vellenga
(2006) are similar to our global ranking.
Importance of Operations Management/Operations Research Journals 8 journals

from this field made the top 35 overall list. This is an important trend. The journals in
this area are more established, but have moved onto the list with the expansion of the
supply chain management field. Only the Journal of Operations Management made the
top 20 of the EU list in the previous survey. It might also reflect the trend for more
15
rigorous research methods that are being used as the field evolves.
Importance of Non-refereed Publications Similar to the previous study, the relative

strength of publications that are not traditional journals was exhibited. Seven of the top
thirty-five publications would fit this profile. While this composite ranking result is
heavily influenced by the teaching and outreach rankings, two of the top ten research
publications are also not traditional academic journals.
Use of Search Databases This was a new addition to the survey and what is clear is
that, as a group, we use multiple databases to search for information. It also points out
that there is no one database that is able to provide everything that is required for our
teaching, outreach and research needs.
Absence of Previously Ranked Publications Another noteworthy finding was the

number of highly rated publications from the Fawcett, Vellenga, and Truitt (1995) study
that did not fare well in this research. While some of the difference can be attributed to
differences in methodology and respondent base, other factors appear to be at work. For
example, four journals (Journal of Advanced Transportation, Journal of Air, Law, and
Commerce (1 respondent for teaching and outreach), Transportation Law Journal, and
Transport Policy) were not rated as useful to any respondents for research in the current
study. Four other journals (Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, Transportation
Research Record, Naval Logistics Research, and Transportation Science) were found in
less than two percent of the total periodical usefulness identifications and ratings in the
current study. Based on their titles, these journals appear to have a narrow focus on
specific transportation issues and may be of less relevance to todays supply chainoriented educators and researchers.
Teaching and Outreach Use of Publications This endeavor to further assess the
usefulness of SCM publications for teaching and research activity provides insight into
the practices of SCM educators. In terms of teaching, the respondents identified and rated
43 different periodicals as being useful, including ten publications that did not appear in
the original list. In terms of outreach, respondents identified and rated 48 different
periodicals as being useful, including 12 write-in publications. Again, Journal of
Business Logistics, Supply Chain Management Review, and Harvard Business Review
stood out as significantly more useful to the respondents for teaching and outreach
activities than nearly every other publication identified and ranked. For both activities,
practitioner-based, frequently published periodicals (e.g., Inbound Logistics, Traffic
World, Distribution, etc.) are also of high value to the respondents.
Research Limitations and Future Directions

As a follow up study to the 2001 survey, similar methodological steps were taken to
promote reliability, objectivity, and validity in the research. However, two issues remain
respondent/non-respondent bias and generalizability. First, the potential problems of response
and non-response bias were limited due to the participation of a wide variety of individuals and
institutions; however, there were a number of abandoned online surveys. Some of those may
have returned to complete the survey at a later date, but others may not. No single university
accounted for a disproportionate percentage of responses, but a majority of universities appear to
16
support a mixed strategy (e.g., research vs. teaching,). The respondent profile does have a small
bias towards experience in the field. 72.4% of respondents are either tenured or permanent
employees. Second, given the methodology and chosen population, the results of this study
cannot be generalized to all educators that teach SCM, conduct research in the field, or
participate in outreach and training activities as there are many cross-over people from other
disciplines dabbling in supply chain issues today. However, the results generally represent the
opinions of SCM educators whose universities have formal SCM or logistics programs (based on
the solid response rate and the participation of educators from nearly every established program
in the world).
In terms of future research directions, additional work can and will be done. We have
noted that only a couple of SCM-specific journals have SSCI or ISI citation index ratings. Does
the fact that the journal has an impact rating affect our decision on where to publish? Further
analysis to see if there is any correlation between search engine indexing and journal CUI score
needs to be done. By way of example, the Journal of Transportation Management is not indexed
by any of the search databases and has slipped from 15th in the 2000 US rankings to 30th overall
in this survey. Finally, it will be important to, once again, repeat this study in another five years
to assess trends and changes in the use of SCM-related periodicals for research, teaching, and
outreach. As mentioned by Spens, Kovacs, and Vellenga (2006), there is a new group of Open
Access journals that are becoming available. Time will confirm whether or not they are accepted
as legitimate platforms for publication and should be included on this list.
17
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19
APPENDIX A
COMPLETE LISTING OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PERIODICALS EVALUATED
Worldwide Rankings (ISSN)
Wall Street Journal
Journal 1359-8546
1523-2409
JPSM)
European Journal of Operational Research
0377-2217
International Journal of Retail and
Distribution Management 0959-0552
(Delta Nu Alpha)
Supply Chain Forum: an International
Journal 1625-8312
Maritime Policy and Management 0308-8839
Journal of the Academy of Marketing
Science 0092-0703
Maritime Economics and Logistics (formerly
International Journal of Maritime Economics)
1479-2931
Strategic Management Journal 0143-2095
RUI
41.921
15.108
33.206
OUI
34.109
45.478
24.978
TUI
35.259
47.814
27.677
CUI
111.288
108.400
85.862
17.875
29.071
33.463
23.730
31.609
23.947
82.946
76.748
6.520
3.531
17.525
11.546
19.380
15.030
10.810
10.551
20.377
21.139
9.186
10.429
46.277
39.700
37.521
32.526
3.499
12.309
16.236
9.561
12.435
9.266
32.170
31.136
19.052
3.359
5.696
28.107
13.899
5.512
4.613
24.025
11.864
5.125
6.458
23.447
9.224
1.972
6.934
10.724
7.140
10.028
23.298
22.724
5.407
6.807
7.881
6.761
9.186
8.103
22.474
21.671
14.249
3.244
1.463
5.439
4.177
7.537
7.063
4.307
2.928
5.736
5.736
4.292
21.355
16.517
14.262
14.038
9.065
1.120
2.246
12.431
1.495
1.590
2.131
8.524
4.739
3.372
5.857
6.331
4.393
1.895
2.756
2.799
4.974
4.332
4.493
0.241
3.089
4.051
12.326
12.253
11.016
10.660
10.584
10.222
3.880
1.895
4.212
9.987
3.276
3.359
3.049
9.684
2.958
0.541
2.640
3.402
5.512
3.661
2.728
3.008
2.487
9.088
9.062
8.788
2.513
2.326
3.730
8.569
4.039
2.024
2.206
8.270
20
Journal of Transport Economics and Policy

0022-5258
Operations Research 0030-364x
Transport Reviews 0144-1647
Transport Policy 0967-070x
Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics,
and Policy (formerly Transportation
Practitioners Journal) 1078-5906
International Journal of Transport
Economics 0391-8440
Journal of Marketing Research 0022-2437
European Journal of Marketing 0309-0566
Distribution Business Management Journal
APICS Magazine
Transportation Research Record 0361-1981
Lloyd's Shipping Economist 0144 6673
Transportation Research: Part A, Policy and
Practice 0965-8564
Transportation Science 0041-1655
Defense Transportation Journal 0011-7625
International Journal of Integrated Supply
Lloyd's List 0144-820X
Journal of the Transportation Research
Forum 1046-1469
Naval Research Logistics (previously titled
Naval Research Logistics Quarterly) 0894069X
Transportation Research: Part B,
Methodological 0191-2615
Omega 0305-0483
Journal of Transport Geography 0966-6923
Transportation 0049-4488
ICFAI Journal of Supply Chain Management
International Review of Retail, Distribution
and Consumer Research 0959-3969
Journal of Operations Research Society
0160-5682
Inbound Logistics
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing
and Logistics 1355-5855
Journal of Manufacturing Technology
Management (formerly Integrated
Manufacturing Systems) 1741-038X
Transportation Research: Part D, Transport
and Environment 1361-9209
Traffic World
Journal of Air, Law, and Commerce 00218642
Production and Operations Management
Journal of Enterprise Information
Management 1741-0398 (formerly Logistics
Information Management)
International Journal of Service Industry
European Business Review 0955-534X
Transportation Research: Part C, Emerging
Technologies 0968-090X
International Journal of Production
Economics
International Journal of Services and
Operations Management 1744-2389
3.308
1.507
3.289
8.104
5.566
1.908
1.209
1.590
0.775
2.024
2.842
2.412
0.923
3.169
2.808
2.688
7.264
7.101
6.859
6.690
2.322
1.464
2.888
6.674
4.198
2.290
0.668
0.636
2.099
0.986
2.767
1.120
2.196
3.661
3.273
1.895
2.885
1.120
1.083
1.885
1.404
1.765
1.645
1.725
1.604
6.401
6.372
5.733
5.674
5.639
5.596
5.491
4.485
0.636
2.226
0.517
2.326
0.947
0.321
2.126
1.845
5.322
5.088
5.019
0.127
2.131
3.273
1.034
1.564
1.725
4.965
4.889
3.149
1.077
0.401
4.627
2.131
1.120
0.401
3.652
1.749
0.859
0.954
1.718
0.700
1.034
1.507
1.120
0.904
0.947
0.642
0.963
1.203
0.521
1.364
3.425
3.329
3.277
3.143
3.011
0.882
2.664
1.781
0.700
0.991
0.947
1.604
0.521
2.595
2.169
0.382
0.517
1.003
1.901
0.318
0.517
0.963
1.798
1.163
1.685
0.521
1.685
1.684
0.842
1.654
1.478
0.991
0.481
1.472
1.378
0.646
0.401
1.378
1.238
1.654
0.636
0.191
1.209
1.209
0.388
21
0.602
0.989
Supply Chain and Logistics Journal - Canada

Transportation Law Journal 0049-450X
Benchmarking International Journal 14635771
Journal of Business 0021-9398
Transportation Quarterly 0278-9434
Business Strategy Review 0955-6419
World Transport Policy and Practice 13527614
International Journal of Value Chain
Journal of Advanced Transportation 01976729
0.127
0.382
0.382
0.732
0.286
22
0.388
0.560
0.732
0.602
0.321
0.474
0.431
0.989
0.881
0.859
0.361
0.855
0.812
0.732
0.647
0.481
0.481
0.481
0.481

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An Analysis of the Value of Supply Chain Management Periodicals for

Teaching, Research, and Outreach Purposes

David A Menachof (PhD, University of Tennessee) is Senior Lecturer of International Logistics

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=989744

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=989744

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Primary Mission of Institution

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Use of Periodicals in Research

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Journal of Business Logistics 0735-3766

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Use of Periodicals in Teaching

Menachof, Gibson, Hanna & Whiteing

Harvard Business Review 0017-8012

Journal of Business Logistics 0735-3766

Supply Chain Management Review

Wall Street Journal

Sloan Management Review 0019-848X

California Management Review 0008-1256

International Journal of Logistics: Research

Transportation Journal 0041-1612

Industrial Marketing Management 0019-8501

Journal of Supply Chain Management - A

Journal of Marketing 0022-2429

International Journal of Operations and

American Shipper 1074-8350

Journal of Operations Management 02726963

Containerisation International 0010-7379

Transportation Research: Part E, Logistics

Logistics Europe 0968-9001

International Journal of Physical

Logistics and Transport Focus 1466-836X

Use of Periodicals in Outreach

Composite Rating of Periodical Usefulness

Harvard Business Review 0017-8012

Journal of Business Logistics 0735-3766

Supply Chain Management Review

International Journal of Physical Distribution

Sloan Management Review 0019-848X

California Management Review 0008-1256

Wall Street Journal

Transportation Journal 0041-1612

Logistics Today (formerly Transportation &

Industrial Marketing Management 0019-8501

American Shipper 1074-8350

Journal of Marketing 0022-2429

Journal of Supply Chain Management - A

Logistics and Transport Focus 1466-836X

Containerisation International 0010-7379

OR/MS Today 1085-1038

Transportation Research: Part E, Logistics

Logistics Europe 0968-9001

Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management

Management Science 0025-1909

Harvard Business Review 0017-8012

International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics