The Resource Orchestration Theory as contributor to Supply Chain Management: an assessment on its applicability

In this article an emerging research stream, resource orchestration, will be discussed via a purchasing and supply chain management perspective. The Resource Orchestration Theory can be seen as an extension on the Resources Based View and explicitly considers the role of the manager during the process of structuring a firm’s resources, bundling them into capabilities, and, eventually, leveraging from those capabilities. First, the article will conduct a literature review on the theory and consider whether it is actually a real scientific theory. Then, empirical evidence must be sought for in order to strengthen the fundament of the theory. Finally, the article will especially evaluate the theory according to four key decision points in purchasing and supply chain management: ‘the make or buy decision’, ‘sourcing strategies’, ‘supplier strategies’, and ‘contracting’. At the end, the article will try to contribute to the still young theory by formulating a framework that enables businesses to see the path way of the Resource Orchestration Theory and the potential benefits involved.