Barriers influencing application of supply chain research in practice: a practitioners’ viewpoint through a fuzzy Delphi-AHP approach

Abstract

Despite the numerous research publications in the supply chain management field, real world applications of such findings remain limited. Hence, it is interesting to understand what barriers hinder such a linkage between theory and practice. Especially, identifying these barriers from practitioners’ perspectives is crucial, given that they play a central role in real world applications. Hence, this study employed a Fuzzy Delphi AHP approach and identified five most significant barriers, including the limited integration of research into teaching, the limited dissemination of research findings, time pressure on decision making that limits the seeking of scientific evidence, the limited practicality of the conducted research, and limited access to scientific research. However, to gain a comprehensive understanding of what limits the application of scientific evidence in practice, future research should be conducted, including the viewpoint of academia.