Mission Statement
This department seeks to publish articles that examine the relationships between operations strategy and operational decisions within an organization, as well as relationships with other functional areas. Articles on both the process of developing/modifying strategies and the content of an organization’s strategy are encouraged. Of particular interest are articles that examine linkages between strategic priorities/goals and both long-term operational decisions and shorter term operational decisions.

While the field of operations strategy has made great strides in studying competitive priorities and studying operational decisions separately, there is a strong need to examine linkages at a deeper level. In a sense, Skinner (1969) offered a call to arms for manufacturing as the missing link in corporate strategy. This department wishes to publish papers that examine links between operations strategy and decisions, as well as between different functional areas of an organization (i.e. marketing, finance,
information technology, new product development). Specific topics that are of great interest include:

• The broader area of "operations" strategy rather than the earlier focus on "manufacturing" strategy. Services make up a large majority of the economies of developed nations, and even within manufacturing, much of the value added is not attributable to direct product transformations.
• Studies focused on a single industry that allow for comparison of different strategies based on competitive priorities by examining different linked operational decisions in a controlled setting.
• Longitudinal rather than cross-sectional studies. Strategy is often examined in a static manner, yet given its dynamic nature there is a strong need for more longitudinal research.
• Strategic consensus and multiple viewpoints. Operations by definition involve anyone in an organization directly involved with providing a product or a service, thus there are typically numerous people involved in any order. Research that examines multiple participants from a single organization is encouraged to break from the common focus on a single key informant.

The specific topics mentioned above are not intended to be a complete list. We encourage papers that combine strong theory with practical examination of operations strategy in organizations. All research methods will be considered, but emphasis is placed on empirical examinations of existing organizations and the value of insights in guiding executives in managing their organizations.

Departmental Editor
Professor Aleda V. Roth
College of Business and Behavioral Sciences
343A Sirrine Hall
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-1305
Phone: (864) 656-1880
Fax: (864) 656-2015
ARoth@Clemson.Edu

Senior Editors
Xiande Zhao, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Kate Blackmon, Oxford University
Nicole DeHoratius, University of Chicago
Barbara Flynn, Indiana University
Soumen Ghosh, Georgia Institute of Technology
Mark Pagell, Oregon State University
Eve Rosenzweig, Emory University
M. Johnny Rungtusanatham, University of Minnesota
Gary D. Scudder, Vanderbilt University
Enno Siemsen, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Morgan Swink, Michigan State University
Mohan Tatikonda, Indiana University