Extending Operations Management, Operations Research, and Supply Chain Management Research With Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Literature Review Approach

Abstract

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has received increasing attention as an organizing principle and rallying point for critical analysis and advocacy across many fields of study, embracing teaching, scholarship, organization design, and professional service. Within operations research (OR), operations management (OM), supply chain management (SCM), and related fields, DEI can provide a deeper understanding of the research enterprise: what research questions are asked, how the questions are answered through research design and analytic methods, and how the knowledge gained can influence scholarship and practice. However, the OR/OM/SCM literature on DEI is fragmented and a systematic review of where we stand is missing. In this paper, we adopt principles of systematic analysis to select and examine a wide range of peer-reviewed research in OR, OM, and SCM using qualitative and quantitative methods. We develop baseline metrics that represent the presence of DEI principles in published research and, through discussion of specific papers, identify opportunities for research to meaningfully engage with DEI principles and discuss specific ways that authors’ work reflects DEI principles. We develop principles for DEI and race- and social justice-aware research in OR/OM/SCM, provide guidance for institutions to support an enabling environment for DEI-aware research, discuss a range of research opportunities in DEI-infused OR/OM/SCM, and explain how critical theory can enhance DEI-aware research in decision science. Our analysis produces insights that can support researchers in OR/OM/SCM who wish to critically address DEI and related topics and integrate them into research programs.

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