Toward a Theory for Management Success: The Role of Evidence-Based Management in the Retail Industry
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Originally Published In
International Journal of Project Organisation and Management
Volume Number
5
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
199-221
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to weave critical retail success factors into a retail operational model. This research integrates principles of traditional literature review with conceptual analysis and a reflective inquiry of a practitioner. This paper reveals a scarcity in research attempting to entwine success factors into workable models. Consequently, a retail approach towards the principles of evidence-based managementis proposed, a new methodology for developing a retail management theory is provided, and an operational model is crafted. While the study provides evidence for the complexity of success in retail, it does not address all success factors such as e-retail, for example. Further, as an emerging theory this paper invites scholars and practitioner to build on its premise towards a comprehensive theory for retail success. To this author’s knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to integrate evidence-based management into retail management. It provides a specific rationale to encourage practitioners to use the principles of evidence-based management in daily operations. It also opens the door for academics to critique and complement this model. As such, it benefits both practitioners and academics.
