Title: Rural supply chain management: a multidimensional framework for future research in Europe

Authors: Günter Prockl; Bettina Williger; Maja Tampe; Yulia Vakulenko; Daniel Hellström

Addresses: Department of Digitalization, Copenhagen Business School, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark ' Fraunhofer Center for Supply Chain Services, 90411 Nürnberg, Germany ' Department of Society, Politics, and Sustainability, Univ. Ramon Llull, ESADE08034 Barcelona, Spain ' Packaging Logistics, Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden ' Packaging Logistics, Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden

Abstract: Innovations affect urban and rural areas differently. Although the supply chain management (SCM) literature recognises the interaction between urban and rural areas in terms of flow of products, people and communication, the rural perspective is clearly missing. An inductive approach was applied using an interdisciplinary panel of international experts to explore challenges and opportunities in the integral fields of rural development and SCM. Four key dimensions emerged that deal with rural logistics, policy, community and innovation. The results characterise rural SCM as multidimensional and classify the research field according to these four key dimensions. The resulting holistic framework brings the wide-ranging character of the research field together. The study provides foundations for the future research and theory building in this emerging research field. It also supports the development of rural markets and businesses in their efforts to cope with challenges that are particularly relevant to retail and service industries.

Keywords: rural; supply chain management; SCM; multidimensional framework; logistics; innovation; policy; community; expert panel; Europe.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2021.118784

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2021 Vol.15 No.6, pp.701 - 726

Received: 27 Feb 2019
Accepted: 04 Sep 2019
Published online: 06 Nov 2021 *

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