This paper examines the extent to which theory-driven supply chain management (SCM) research is of practical relevance to businesses. It does this on the basis of empirical research in China. This research was divided into two parts.  The first involved a review of fifty-seven theory-driven SCM studies relating to China published in ten leading journals between 2006 and 2015. The second comprised a questionnaire survey of a sample of 152 Chinese SC managers in Guandong province which investigated their practical concerns.  An assessment was then made of the degree of alignment between these concerns and the content of the academic papers.  This indicated that some academic research on SCM does probe industry-relevant problems and is clearly of practical value. Much SCM research, however,  does not translate into actionable knowledge or tools that practitioners can use.   Academic research in this field could be more pragmatic and researchers could pay more attention to the practical implications of their findings.

Details of this paper can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-12-2017-0337

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