Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the benefits of bridging the gap between supply chain management (SCM) and political philosophy to challenge the underlying assumptions about SCM concepts and open doors to novel theory building.

Design/methodology/approach

A thought experiment is conducted to illustrate how the two philosophers Niccolò Machiavelli and Jürgen Habermas would tackle sustainability issues in coffee supply chains from a research perspective. The thought experiment is carried out using data from 30 semi-structured interviews with actors from the coffee industry. Supplementing the thought experiment with empirical insights allows for a deeper understanding of supply chain dynamics and how these are impacted by the application of the philosophical viewpoints.

Findings

The research stresses the importance of SCM scholars being aware of the underlying assumptions of their research, as these have a remarkable impact on theory building. A combination of empirical insights and philosophical understandings makes it possible to reflect on the underlying concepts of SCM, providing suggestions for reimagining SCM.

Originality/value

The contribution of the research is twofold. First, the paper presents an original view on SCM, as the thought experiment is introduced as an approach to better understand SCM concepts. By challenging the underlying assumptions with political philosophy, researchers will be better equipped to address grand challenges in the twenty-first century. Second, this is exemplified by the case study of the coffee supply chain, which provides the reader with insight into the dynamics of supply chains with prevalent power differences.

中文翻译：

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向哈贝马斯和马基雅维利学习：供应链管理的思想实验

目的

本文的目的是展示弥合供应链管理 (SCM) 和政治哲学之间差距的好处，以挑战有关 SCM 概念的基本假设，并为新颖的理论构建打开大门。

设计/方法论/途径

通过一个思想实验来说明两位哲学家尼科洛·马基雅维利和尤尔根·哈贝马斯如何从研究的角度解决咖啡供应链的可持续发展问题。这项思想实验是使用来自咖啡行业参与者的 30 次半结构化访谈的数据进行的。用实证见解补充思想实验可以更深入地理解供应链动态以及哲学观点的应用如何影响供应链动态。

发现

该研究强调了 SCM 学者了解其研究的基本假设的重要性，因为这些假设对理论构建具有显着影响。经验见解和哲学理解的结合使得反思 SCM 的基本概念成为可能，为重新构想 SCM 提供建议。

原创性/价值

这项研究的贡献是双重的。首先，本文提出了对 SCM 的原创观点，引入思想实验作为更好地理解 SCM 概念的方法。通过用政治哲学挑战基本假设，研究人员将能够更好地应对二十一世纪的重大挑战。其次，咖啡供应链的案例研究证明了这一点，它使读者能够深入了解普遍存在权力差异的供应链的动态。