Using collaborative research methodologies in humanitarian supply chains

Yasmine Sabri, Hossein Zarei, Christine M. Harland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an existing collaborative research methodology process (Sabri, 2018), contextualise it for application in humanitarian supply chains and test it empirically. Design/methodology/approach: Building on collaborative research methodology and humanitarian supply chain literature, the Sabri’s (2018) collaborative research methodology process is further developed to comprise eight phases of collaborative research contextualised for the humanitarian supply chain domain. The process is applied in a collaborative research case of academia–practitioner knowledge co-creation in a humanitarian supply chain setting, focussing on environmental sustainability improvement. The collaborative case analysis suggests a number of refinements to the elements of the process. This study undertook two cycles of academia–practitioner collaborative research. Findings: In testing the process, a noticeable improvement in the collaboration among different humanitarian stakeholders was observed, leading to improved stakeholder management. The implementation improved the sustainability awareness and social inclusion of the affected population. Rurality, remoteness, security issues and resistance of field staff against change were among the main challenges for supply chain researchers to engage in collaborative research in the humanitarian domain. Originality/value: The paper addresses the rigour‒relevance‒reflectiveness debate in the humanitarian supply chain domain. A collaborative research methodology process derived from action research is further developed using humanitarian literature, and then it is applied in a humanitarian logistics case focussed on environmental sustainability. The present collaborative research process facilitates engaged scholarship among the humanitarian stakeholders, as the researchers’ roles move from observatory to participatory knowledge broker.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)371-409
JournalJournal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Volume9
Issue number3
Early online date23 Aug 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Dec 2019

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Sabri, Y., Zarei, M. and Harland, C. (2019), "Using collaborative research methodologies in humanitarian supply chains", Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-06-2018-0041

Keywords

  • Action research
  • Collaborative research
  • Humanitarian logistics
  • Humanitarian supply chain
  • Sustainability

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Using collaborative research methodologies in humanitarian supply chains'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this