infonet-economy

There is significant evidence that the idea of configuration is receiving increased attention from researchers in the field of logistics and supply chain management. However, what is so far missing is a generic concept of logistics configuration that supports a congruent understanding in the scientific community. The aim of this chapter is to present the fundamentals of such a concept by applying the configuration approach of organization theory. Therefore a reference framework for the study of logistics configurations will be submitted. Subsequently, a proposal for logistically relevant design and context variables is presented as well as how their interrelationships result into a set of four generic logistics configurations. Finally, the benefits of logistics configurations as conceptual frameworks for further logistics research as well as guidelines for practical supply chain design will be discussed.