Paradoxes and opportunities in logistic outsourcing research

Abstract

Historically, very few logistic trends have caught the attention of academics and practitioners to the same extent as outsourcing. A comprehensive literature review reveals two reasons for this continual topicality. The problem complexity and the business environment dynamics - including an interaction with other main trends in logistics and modern supply chains - both led to a permanent literature gap, indicating the need to explore some new aspects of logistics outsourcing (LO). In this paper, a new LO research perspective has been explored by identifying some weaknesses in the main LO research streams and related common viewpoints which led to six 'logistics outsourcing research paradoxes'. Each of these paradoxes is briefly described and their links with research streams and common views on LO discussed. Finally, the nature of some known opportunities for further research is better explained and some overlooked research opportunities are highlighted.