Contingency research in operations management practices
Open accessAbstract
As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun to shift its interest from the justification of the value of those practices to the understanding of the contextual conditions under which they are effective—OM practice contingency research (OM PCR). This article sets out to examine and critique the current state of OM PCR. We review OM PCR studies through the lens of the major theoretical view on contingencies, contingency theory, along a number of relevant dimensions: contingency variables, performance variables, measurement, research design and employed form of fit. In this process, we put forward a number of tasks that need to be accomplished in order to move OM PCR forward and develop more solid conceptual foundations in which to anchor rigorous research in this area. Finally, we reflect on the theoretical arguments that underlie OM PCR (which are based on the contingency approach) and identify its limitations in fully explaining the currently observed patterns of use of OM practices and associated performance outcomes. As a result, we propose that in order to increase our understanding of these patterns, OM scholars need to study in more depth the process of selection of OM best practices by organizations. Accordingly, we put forward a framework to underpin such research integrating contingency theory and other theoretical perspectives.
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JIT effectiveness depends on contextual factors such as firm size and supply chain complexity.
“This disparity supports contingency theory (Sousa & Voss, 2008), asserting that JIT effectiveness depends on contextual factors like firm size and supply chain complexity.”
From Implementation Of Just-In-Time (Jit) In Inventory Management: A Case Study In A Manufacturing Company (2025) · cites this paper as Sousa & Voss, 2008
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Susanti, T., Rionaldi, R., Aristiawan, D., Taufid, H., & Lusiana, L. (2025) · Eduvest - Journal of Universal Studies · doi:10.59188/eduvest.v5i7.51625
- Authors
- Sousa, R., & Voss, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa (PT)
- ORCID
- Sousa, Rui
- Venue
- Journal of Operations Management
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-06-08
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 697-713
- ISSN
- 0272-6963 (ISSN-L)
- 1873-1317
- OpenAlex
- W2125650595
- Cited by
- 996
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 46 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 63 · 2022: 72 · 2021: 62 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 66 · 2018: 75 · 2017: 71 · 2016: 53 · 2015: 64 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 67 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 43.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Operations Management (publishedVersion)
- Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Quality and Supply Management
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Management and Optimization Techniques
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management Theory and Practice
- Keywords
- contingency theory, practice selection, contingency factors, performance outcomes, research design, theoretical integration
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