The state of research on business processes: A cross-disciplinary review
Sidorova, Anna Isik, Öykü
Sidorova, Anna
Isik, Öykü
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Publication Type
Journal article
Editor
Supervisor
Publication Year
2010
Journal
Business Process Management Journal
Book
Publication Volume
16
Publication Issue
4
Publication Begin page
566
Publication End page
597
Publication NUmber of pages
Collections
Abstract
Purpose The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of business processes (BPs) literature by identifying and discussing key BP‐related research themes and uggesting directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach Latent semantic analysis was used to analyze the abstracts of academic articles related to BP. Over 2,700 articles that use the term “business process (BP)” in their title, abstract or keywords were identified through electronic journals database EBSCOHost and examined. Findings The results clearly indicate growing interest in BP research during the past 20 years. The key research themes can be classified into core and associated BP research. Core BP research deals with four cornerstones of BP change: BP design, information technology, BP implementation, and ongoing BP management. The associated BP research lies on the intersection of BP and other research areas such as total quality management, supply chain management, e‐commerce, etc. Research limitations/implications There is a need to focus future research efforts on understanding the inter‐relationships among the four identified cornerstones of BP change. There is also a need for more inter‐disciplinary BP research and integration of BP‐related organizational practices. Originality/value The review offers a cross‐disciplinary perspective on BP research. The proposed framework can be used to identify directions for future research and practice.