International operations management and operations management research: A comparative analysis

By reviewing all articles published in 24 reputable journals that serve as outlets for operations management (OM) research, 587 articles on international operations management (IOM) are identified by a 12-year period from 1986 through 1997. These IOM articles are classified into 17 topical areas and the topical breakdown of IOM research is then compared with that of OM in general. Relative to OM, research in IOM is found to focus more on distribution, strategy, purchasing, facility location, and quality management as opposed to scheduling, inventory control, aggregate planning, capacity management, facility layout, services, quality of work life and project management. A significant upward trend is noted in the number of IOM articles published over time. Also, differences are found between the topical coverage of IOM research appearing in practitioner journals and that appearing in academic journals. The methodological profile of IOM research studies finds empirical articles to be most prevalent, followed by articles on models, descriptive articles, and literature reviews. As one might expect, the proportion of IOM research authored by practitioners relative to academicians is found to be higher for IOM research appearing in practitioner-oriented journals than that in academically-oriented journals. The study provides an understanding of what constitutes IOM research and the directions of research in this area. It discusses the implications of the findings for industry and for future research and also presents a comprehensive set of keywords that can be used for identifying IOM research publications.