Position Paper ‐ Supply

Over the last 30 years there has been considerable research associated with supply related matters. Even though there has been much activity no one has attempted to define and explore ‘supply’ in and of itself. By observation it would appear that approximately 80% of the activities relates to ‘Supply Chain’ and its various constructs some of the more significant ones being: Supply Chain Management (SCM), Supply Chain Performance (SCP), Supply Chain Orientation (SCO) and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM). This paper will outline what has been found in the extant literature. It highlights the fact that consensus of definitions has not been reached and this could be a consequence of not exploring the most fundamental construct of ‘supply’. After exploring and analysing what does exist it then goes on to discuss some of the challenges that exist and some key omissions that could help to define future research initiatives.