A meta‐analysis of doctoral dissertations in purchasing

Abstract

Abstract Purchasing, as a distinct business function, has grown immensely in strategic stature over the past decade. However, the academic development of the field has not paralleled this turn of events. While the academic evolution of any field can be assessed in a variety of ways, doctoral dissertation research provides a useful method of evaluating the intellectual health of a discipline. We analyze doctoral dissertation research in the field of purchasing since 1987, identify key areas of study, examine shifts in topical coverage, evaluate methodological sophistication and the extent of theory development and discuss gaps in research areas. We find that dissertation research in purchasing is still largely exploratory, lacking in dominant paradigms and unifying theories. On a more positive note, our analysis reveals an encouraging trend towards causal and confirmatory research designs and the growing use of organizational, marketing and economic theory to explain purchasing phenomena.

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