Decolonising Management Studies and Knowledge in Supply Chain Management

Ayebo Bolale Francine Laourou
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Ayebo Bolale Francine Laourou: Coventry University

Chapter Chapter 4 in Decolonising the Enterprise, 2026, pp 73-93 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter critically examines how colonial legacies continue to shape supply chain management (SCM) knowledge and practice. It explores how decolonial approaches can offer alternative pathways for building more just and inclusive supply chains. Using a qualitative, decolonial research design, the chapter draws on 25 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, participant observation of cooperative assemblies and rituals, and document analysis of bylaws and certification standards. Data were analysed thematically, with community co-researchers engaged in coding to ensure cultural grounding and reflexivity. The study identifies three interrelated dynamics: epistemic marginalisation of Indigenous and local knowledge, structural power asymmetries between global buyers and local producers, and the emergence of decolonial practices of resistance. Triangulation across methods highlights how these dynamics reinforce but also challenge dominant SCM logics. The findings call for managers, policymakers, and NGOs to take local knowledge seriously, support community-led governance, and move beyond narrow compliance metrics. Doing so can strengthen both legitimacy and resilience in supply chains.

Keywords: Decolonisation; Indigenous knowledge; Supply chain management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-032-14855-1_4

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-14855-1_4

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