International intermediaries: A systematic literature review and research agenda
Article
Virtanen, Y., Jiang, Y., You, W. and Cai, H. 2022. International intermediaries: A systematic literature review and research agenda. European Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.11.005
| Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Title | International intermediaries: A systematic literature review and research agenda |
| Authors | Virtanen, Y., Jiang, Y., You, W. and Cai, H. |
| Abstract | Intermediaries such as trading companies, agents and merchants have played a key role in international business for centuries. Despite the growing importance of understanding the phenomenon of intermediaries, there are misperceptions and confusions regarding the concept and value of intermediaries, which result in disconnected and fragmented research findings. This study – based on an analysis of 101 articles published between 1985 and 2021 – aims to synthesise the conceptual developments and provide a more integrated understanding of both sourcing and trading intermediaries whose activities extend across national borders. The findings help to pave the way for further academic research by highlighting what we currently know and do not know about intermediaries, outlining the theoretically grounded research agenda for each of the three identified themes: (1) What are intermediaries? (2) When should intermediaries be used? and (3) How do intermediaries work and develop? The study shows that despite decades of research on this topic, the literature to date has been limited and scattered. Researchers are encouraged to consider the role of intermediaries in a bigger picture where intermediated exchanges exist not only in dyadic relationships, but also in triads or even in broader webs of networks. |
| Keywords | Intermediaries, Systematic literature review, International trade, Global sourcing |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure |
| Middlesex University Theme | Creativity, Culture & Enterprise |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Journal | European Management Journal |
| ISSN | 0263-2373 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 23 Nov 2022 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Deposited | 28 Nov 2022 |
| Submitted | 10 Mar 2022 |
| Accepted | 22 Nov 2022 |
| Publisher's version | License |
| Copyright Statement | Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.11.005 |
| Language | English |
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