Supply chain development: Insights from Strategic Niche Management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the study of supply chain design from theperspective of complex dynamic systems. Unlike extant studies that use formal simulation modellingand associated methodologies rooted in the physical sciences, it adopts a framework rooted in thesocial sciences, strategic niche management, which provides rich insights into the behavioural aspectsof complex innovation dynamics of emerging supply chains.Design/methodology/approach – The use of the framework is illustrated by means of a case studyabout the development of a new biofuels supply chain in East Africa.Findings – Three key dynamic processes are found to be at the core of new supply chaindevelopment: networking, learning and the management of actor expectations. The case analysis suggests the need to actively manage these processes and suggests possible ways of doing so.Research limitations/implications – Generalisability is limited since the research is based on onecase study. Additional case studies using the same framework would help to validate and extend theresults obtained.Practical implications – Implications for strategic managerial decision making include the need toencourage stakeholder networking and shared learning, and managing their expectations.Originality/value – The paper uses an innovative conceptual framework to examine new supplychain development, which yields new insights into how these processes can be actively managed andsupported.