Georgi, C; Darkow, IL; Kotzab, H. 2010. THE INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION OF THE JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS AND ITS EVOLUTION BETWEEN 1978 AND 2007. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS 31 (2): 63-109

[Eugene Garfield]

Georgi, C; Darkow, IL; Kotzab, H. 2010. THE INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATION OF 
THE JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS AND ITS EVOLUTION BETWEEN 1978 
AND 2007. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS LOGISTICS 31 (2): 63-109.

Author Full Name(s): Georgi, Christoph; Darkow, Inga-Lena; Kotzab, Herbert
Language: English
Document Type: Article

KeyWords Plus: AUTHOR COCITATION ANALYSIS; SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT; 
PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION SERVICE; BUYER-SELLER RELATIONSHIPS; CITATION 
ANALYSIS; OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT; INFORMATION-SYSTEMS; SIMILARITY 
MEASURES; PEARSONS R; BIBLIOMETRICS

Abstract: Many logistics and supply chain management researchers have so far 
studied the nature of logistics and supply chain management research in terms 
of its domain and scope, its epistemological assumptions, and its evolution. 
However, the knowledge repository on which the scientific research community 
draws, that is, its intellectual foundation, has not yet been studied. Studying 
the intellectual foundation of research provides an unbiased and comprehensive 
picture of the development, dissemination, and utilization of its knowledge. In 
this article, we identify the most contributive works—in terms of citations 
received—that have been used in 497 articles published in the Journal of 
Business Logistics (JBL) between 1978 and 2007. By means of citation and co-
citation analysis, the intellectual structure of research in JBL is revealed and 
transformations therein are explored. Overall, the most frequently-cited 
literature can be classified into six themes: physical distribution; inventory 
models; customer service; interorganizational relationships; competitive 
strategy; and empirical methodologies for socio-scientific research. 
Furthermore, we determined a development in citation frequencies to these 
themes: literature related to physical distribution and inventory management 
declined over the three decades under study, whereas literature related to 
competitive strategy and empirical methods gained in importance. This 
development indicates a shift from an operational focus to a prioritization of 
managerial issues. Moreover, our results demonstrate a shift towards more 
relational and institutional research in logistics (management), which has been 
typically linked with the notion of supply chain management since the 1990's.

Addresses: [Kotzab, Herbert] Copenhagen Business School, Dept Operat 
Management, Copenhagen, Denmark; [Georgi, Christoph; Darkow, Inga-Lena] 
Int Univ Schloss Reichartshausen, European Business Sch, Supply Chain 
Management Inst SMI, Oestrich Winkel, Germany; [Georgi, Christoph] Int Univ 
Schloss Reichartshausen, European Business Sch, AIM, Oestrich Winkel, 
Germany

Reprint Address: Kotzab, H, Copenhagen Business School, Dept Operat 
Management, Copenhagen, Denmark.
E-mail Address: hk.om at cbs.dk
ISSN: 0735-3766
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2158-
1592.2010.tb00143.x/abstract