Understanding the Role of Supplier Selection in PSM Research – A Systematic Literature Review

With the growth in outsourcing in various sectors, the PSM function and its selection of suppliers are becoming critical to a firm’s business success. However, a thorough analysis of the extensive spectrum of supplier selection (SS) literature has not yet been performed. To address this gap, we conduct a comprehensive and systematic literature review (SLR). The purpose is to profoundly examine the evolution of the exhaustive body of research in SS, its research streams (RS) and to propose areas for further research. To this end, we developed an analytical frame-work that contains six RS derived from the extant literature through our SLR. Results reveal tremendous scientific progress in SS in the last two decades, a trend predicted to continue. Moreover, the findings show that particular categories have been strongly researched whereas other important aspects lack examination. The study presents a large-scale longitudinal overview of 158 papers published in major journals between 1990 and 2013. Extant academic work is to show the importance of SS issues within SCM research. Finally, areas for further research guide potential future investigation.