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The literature on supplier development (SD) is mostly fragmented, and very little research offers insights on the interrelations of the critical elements of SD. This research aims to evaluate the significance of SD and reconceptualise it by identifying and linking the key constructs and items of SD.

A structured literature review of SD literature was performed, and it was followed by conducting a contingency analysis of defined constructs and the items of SD. Applying a literature review and contingency analysis allows assessing the degree to which core constructs and their operational items are addressed in the SD literature.

Our findings show that a high degree of interrelations exists among enablers, relationships and supplier development strategies (SDS), of which, only indirect SDS drives the performance outcomes. However, interrelations between the individual items of the main categories of SD remain unexplored.

The proposed revised framework reveals significant research gaps in SD and calls for a thorough examination of the topic.

The key contribution of the paper is reconceptualising SD and contributing to the theoretical development of SD.

Literature review articles have become a frequently applied research approach in operations and supply chain management (SCM). The purpose of this paper aims to elaborate on four approaches for developing or employing theory in systematic literature reviews (SLRs).

The paper uses conceptual arguments and illustrates them by pointing to recent examples. In SLRs, the material collection is usually based on keywords and searching databases, which is comparatively well documented. Data analysis, however, often falls short in documentation and, consequently, is neither well explained nor replicable. Therefore, the focus of this paper is the elaboration of the data analysis and sense-making stage in the research process of SLRs.

The paper presents four different approaches, which are characterized as theory (1) building, (2) modification, (3) refinement and (4) extension, based on whether new concepts are formed or extant concepts within SCM or other fields of management theory are adopted.

The limitation of this research is that literature reviews could be conducted and presented in many ways. Since the focus of this research is on systematic literature reviews, only a limited number of approaches can be discussed and presented here.

The paper contributes to explaining the process and expected outcomes of a literature review and, therefore, aids in further developing the related methodological approaches. This is relevant as literature review publications now often replace conceptual or theoretical pieces but still have to deliver concerning demands of theory building.

The aim of this paper is to analyze which sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) arguments are addressed in the base of the pyramid (BoP)-related research. BoP projects address how companies contribute to fulfilling the needs of the poorest populations; increasingly, academics are applying theory to explain these projects. The need for integrating the BoP population into value-adding activities is widely acknowledged, but this is not yet reflected in supply chain management (SCM)-related concepts. The links to SSCM are frequently mentioned but in a scattered manner.

The paper presents a structured literature review of BoP papers published between 2000 and 2014 in peer-reviewed, English-speaking journals available on Web of Science. A content analysis of BoP papers is conducted based on SSCM constructs from the framework presented by Beske and Seuring (2014).

The frequencies of SSCM constructs identified in the BoP papers indicate the prevalence of SSCM arguments in the BoP discourse. Technological integration emerges as the core SSCM practice frequently identified and is contingent with a number of other practices. Further, SSCM practices including long-term relationship development, partner development, joint development, enhanced communication, learning, stakeholder management and innovation have regularly been referred to and are considered important by respective BoP scholars. The contingency analysis shows significant correlations among various pairs of categories and allows us to point to major lines of related arguments.

The paper offers insights into the potential links between the SSCM and BoP research streams and sets ground for further theoretical exploration of the subject. Limitations are the uptake of one particular conceptual framework, the selection of BoP papers for the review process and the interpretation of the frequency and contingency analysis. The paper offers a foundation for developing a research stream where BoP-related issues are integrated into research on (S)SCM.

SCM has many practical applications, which help to establish and improve supply chain design and operations. This would benefit BoP projects and should improve their practical outcomes. The relevance of technological integration seems straightforward, but needs a lot of effort to be implemented in each single project.

BoP-related research has gained increasing attention in recent years and should help drive the global sustainable development agenda further in the respective geographic locations. Establishing capable supply chains that deliver sustainable outcomes will be at the core of such projects. This paper highlights fundamental practices for firms targeting BoP markets with an effort to alleviate poverty.

The paper applies SSCM theory to analyze BoP issues and thereby interlinks the two research streams. Until now, research amalgamating the two concepts has been disconnected. Therefore, by providing an overview of existing publications, more focus for future studies is created, which is valuable and necessary for advancing both fields. Additionally, assessing BoP-type projects in low-income countries will allow the SSCM agenda to look beyond what is so far typically researched.