A systematic literature review into simulation for building operations management theory: reaching beyond positivism?

Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which simulation modelling has been employed beyond positivism, particularly under post-positivist and design-science-oriented paradigms, for theory building in operations management. Our study demonstrates that existing literature reviews have neglected the aspect of theory building and the generation of technological rules from a design-science perspective. A systematic literature review appraises 53 studies, published between 1976 and 2019, revealed that classical positivist approaches predominate (40 of 53 studies), followed by directive positivist (6), classical post-positivist (5), and participatory post-positivist (2) paradigms. The review highlights the potential of simulation modelling for theory building in operations management from both positivist and post-positivist perspectives. However, the dominance of positivist approaches suggests a lack of engagement with practical implementation and comparative studies. The findings advocate for greater external validation and practitioner involvement, and integrated and extended checklists for simulation studies are proposed to guide future research in this area.