Guest Editors:
Professor Nazrul Islam* (Managing Guest Editor)
Royal Docks School of Business and Law, University of East London, UK
Nazrul.Islam@uel.ac.uk
Professor Fu (Jeff) Jia, University of York, UK
fu.jia@york.ac.uk
Dr Lujie Chen, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Lujie.Chen@xjtlu.edu.cn
Theme
The financial crisis that occurred in 2008 acted as a catalyst for the emergence of innovative financial
technologies, commonly referred to as fintech (Chen et al., 2019). These solutions combine digital
technologies like the internet, smartphones, and artificial intelligence (AI) with traditional financial
services. Fintech has revolutionized the industry by offering new value-added features and enabling
cost-effective service delivery (Leong et al., 2017; Takeda and Ito, 2021). Although there was no
clear definition of fintech when academic papers started discussing it in 2015, the continuous
progression of technology and digital transformation has sparked significant disruptions in heavily
regulated sectors such as banking and finance (Chen et al., 2019; Takeda and Ito, 2021). Fintech
represents a broad term encompassing diverse disruptive technologies within the financial services
sector, as stated by Leong et al. (2017).
Over the years, the finance industry has witnessed significant attention directed towards the rapid
advancement of fintech. Practitioners and scholars alike have embraced the emergence of fintech,
recognizing its potential to revolutionize financial services by enhancing the convenience, security,
and cost-effectiveness of transactions (Li et al., 2022). Academic literature predominantly
emphasizes how established financial companies strategically adopt fintech solutions internally to
offer enhanced value-added services to customers (Xiang et al., 2021). For instance, Sloboda et al.
(2018) highlight the improved profitability, stability, and safety observed in retail banks that
leverage fintech innovation and transparency to develop retail banking services. Research also
explores how existing financial institutions are utilizing fintech technologies to enhance operational
efficiency, reduce costs, and provide greater convenience (Baliker et al., 2023; Goldstein et al.,
2019).
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring the connection between fintech and
operation and supply chain management (OSCM). Several scholars (Fosso Wamba et al., 2020; Lee
et al., 2022; Li et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2021) have delved into the OSCM-finance relationship
within the context of the current fintech era. An important area where OSCM intersects with fintech
is supply chain finance (SCF) (Li et al., 2022). Researchers have observed that fintech has
significantly transformed SCF by introducing innovative financial products and services, leveraging
operational data, and creating new business models aimed at enhancing operational performance by
overcoming financial obstacles (Wang et al., 2021). Consequently, this disruption in traditional
financial service delivery has brought forth an array of fresh operational opportunities and
challenges (Li et al., 2021). Furthermore, it has been argued that fintech serves as a vital link between
businesses and their suppliers. This linkage allows both buyers and sellers to improve their working
capital. Buyers can extend payment terms, enabling them to optimize their payables, while sellers
benefit from faster payment, thus improving their cash flow (Xu et al., 2023). In effect, both parties
experience reduced variability in payment timing and increased liquidity (Dbouk, et al., 2020).
Overall, these developments highlight the mutual advantages for buyers and suppliers facilitated by
fintech innovation.
Furthermore, the implementation of fintech has not only bolstered the efficiency of SCF but has also
yielded significant improvements in several other vital aspects of OSCM, including resilience and
sustainability (Li et al., 2021; Soni et al., 2022). Traditionally, companies were primarily reliant on
a limited number of local partners encompassing upstream suppliers, downstream customers,
logistics service providers, and financing service providers (Soni et al., 2022). By leveraging fintech
tools such as IoT sensors and blockchain technology, organizations now can significantly enhance
their capacity for information sharing, communication, coordination, and collaboration with remote
and potential partners, thereby fortifying their resilience (Song et al., 2023). Moreover, the
utilization of diverse financial technology approaches enables businesses to address complex
challenges such as information search, supply chain management, and ever-changing client demands
that create uncertainty throughout the supply chain (Hennelly et al., 2020).
In recent years, as the demand for sustainability has grown, financial technologies have been
deployed to address the evolving needs of the sustainable supply chain (Saberi et al., 2019; Taneja
et al., 2023). These technologies support the ecological transition by bridging sustainability with
economic and financial activities within supply chains. Companies are utilizing artificial intelligence
(AI) and big data analytics to gather and analyze information on companies and their environmental
practices (Saberi et al., 2019). With the assistance of fintech, they can translate a vast amount of
data, including not just publicly available information but also satellite data in multiple languages,
into research and metrics (Khan et al., 2021). This enables the evaluation of Environmental, Social,
and Governance (ESG) risks associated with participants in the supply chain (Khan et al., 2021;
Taneja et al., 2023).
To fully comprehend the intersection of fintech and OSCM, it is essential to delve deeper. While
there has been a recent increase in fintech-related literature within the OSCM field, it remains
relatively under-researched and lacks theoretical development compared to other fintech topics.
Therefore, we encourage the exploration of new theories, research methods, generalizable findings,
and insightful suggestions to advance the existing literature on this subject. Furthermore, although
some studies have conceptually explained the relationship between fintech and OSCM outcomes,
empirical validation and extensive examination in practical settings are necessary.
Special Issue’s scope, including potential themes to be addressed in the Special Issue
In this Special Issue, we will accept both theoretical submissions and robust empirical research with
a clear theoretical and practical contribution. Empirical insights may be derived from survey
research, multiple case studies, action research, secondary data analysis (e.g., event studies),
interviews, design science, or experiments. Papers adopting mixed methodology are also welcome.
However, pure modeling and simulation papers or literature reviews are beyond consideration.
Contributions are welcomed in various topic areas that include, but are not limited to, the following:
- How the financial technologies (e.g., Blockchain, IoT, AI and BDA) can be leveraged by firms
to improve OSCM performance - Fintech-driven innovations in SCF services and business models
- Fintech-driven innovations in sustainable supply chain management
- The role of fintech in managing the three flows (material, information, and financial) in supply
chains - The role of fintech in enabling supply chain risk management
- The role of fintech in improving supply chain resilience
- OSCM-related enablers, barriers and challenges in the implementation of fintech
- The integration of various financial technologies
- Real-world applications and practices of fintech-enabled OSCM innovation
- Conflicts and trade-offs in the fintech innovation process
- Collaborations among supply chain members (e.g., corporations, governments, communities,
and other potential stakeholders) for fintech innovations - Technological approaches in different parts of supply chains (e.g., manufacturing, transporting,
distributing, and selling)
Notes for Prospective Authors
Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration
for publication elsewhere. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been
completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright
holders of the original paper. Manuscripts should be submitted through the publisher’s online
system. Submissions will be reviewed according to the journal’s rigorous standards and procedures
through a double-blind peer review by at least two qualified reviewers.
We welcome informal enquiries relating to the Special Issue, proposed topics and potential fit with
the Special Issue objectives.
Enquiries should be directed to Professor Nazrul Islam: Nazrul.Islam@uel.ac.uk
Submission Process
Please prepare the manuscript according to IEEE-TEM’s guidelines (http://ieee-tmc.org/temguidelines) and submit to the journal’s Manuscript Central site
(https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tem-ieee).
Please upload the paper on the IEEE TEM Editorial Manager clearly indicating in the cover letter
that the submission is for the IEEE TEM Special Issue on ‘FinTech in Operations and Supply
Chain Management’.
Schedule
The timeline of this special issue is as follows:
- Submissions open: 01 December 2023
- Submissions deadline: 31 May 2024
- Review process: On a rolling basis from 01 December 2023 – 30 June 2024
- Expected Publication: Autumn 2025
Guest Editor Bios
Dr. Nazrul Islam is Chair Professor of Business & Director of Research Degrees, and Associate
Director for UEL Centre of FinTech at Royal Docks School of Business and Law, University of
East London, UK. He holds a PhD in innovation management. His research interest focuses on
interdisciplinary fields: the management of technology; technological transformation; the
emergence and growth of disruptive and digital technology-based innovation; and SMEs business
sustainability. His research was published in the leading international journals, and he has
complemented his peer reviewed journal efforts with three books. Prof Islam’s research received
awards including the ‘Brad Hosler Award for Outstanding Paper’ from USA; and the ‘Pratt &
Whitney Canada Best Paper Award’ from Canada. Prof Islam serves on the board of directors for
Business and Applied Sciences Academy of North America. He is an Associate Editor (Lead Bureu
Editor for Emerging Technologies) for Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Department
Editor (Technology Management) for IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning. Prof Islam has served
as managing guest editor for a number of Management and Engineering journals, such as
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Technovation, IEEE Transaction on Engineering
Management, among others.
Dr. Fu (Jeff) Jia is Chair Professor of Supply Chain Management at the School for Business and
Society, University of York, UK. His research interests include supply relationship management in
a cross-cultural context, global sourcing, supply chain learning and innovation, and sustainable
supply management. Prof Jia is currently leading a project team investigating the adoption of new
technologies in SCF. Prof Jia has an extensive track record of publications in supply chain
management and logistics journals such as Journal of Operations Management, International Journal
of Operations and Production Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,
International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Business Logistics, International
Business Review, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Cleaner Production,
Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and International Journal of Logistics Management.
Prof Jia is also an Associate Editor and a Guest Editor of special issues of International Journal of
Operations and Production Management. He also serves as an associate editor to Journal of
Purchasing and Supply Management, sits on the editorial review board of Industrial Marketing
Management and serves as a regular reviewer for many leading OM/SCM and general management
journals.
Dr. Lujie Chen is a Senior Associate Professor of Management at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool
University and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Liverpool in the UK. She is a
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and an expert in the fields of supply chain
management and business analytics. Prof. Chen have published over 60 high-quality and impactful
papers in top-tier journals such as the Journal of Operations Management, Harvard Business Review,
International Journal of Operations and Production Management, British Journal of Management,
and European Journal of Operational Research, among others. She has served as a guest editor for
special issues of several respected journals such as International Journal of Operations and
Production Management, Industrial Marketing Management, International Journal of Production
Economics, and Journal of Business Research. She is currently serving as an Associate Editor for
the International Journal of Operations and Production Management.
References
Baliker, C., Baza, M., Alourani, A., Alshehri, A., Alshahrani, H., & Choo, K. K. R. (2023). On the
Applications of Blockchain in FinTech: Advancements and Opportunities. IEEE Transactions
on Engineering Management, ahead of print.
Chen, M. A., Wu, Q., & Yang, B. (2019). How valuable is FinTech innovation? The Review of
Financial Studies, 32(5), 2062-2106.
Fosso Wamba, S., Kala Kamdjoug, J. R., Epie Bawack, R., & Keogh, J. G. (2020). Bitcoin,
Blockchain and Fintech: a systematic review and case studies in the supply chain. Production
Planning & Control, 31(2-3), 115-142.
Goldstein, I., Jiang, W., & Karolyi, G. A. (2019). To FinTech and beyond. The Review of Financial
Studies, 32(5), 1647-1661.
Hennelly, P. A., Srai, J. S., Graham, G., & Fosso Wamba, S. (2020). Rethinking supply chains in
the age of digitalization. Production Planning & Control, 31(2-3), 93-95.
Khan, S. A. R., Godil, D. I., Jabbour, C. J. C., Shujaat, S., Razzaq, A., & Yu, Z. (2021). Green data
analytics, blockchain technology for sustainable development, and sustainable supply chain
practices: evidence from small and medium enterprises. Annals of Operations Research, 1-25.
Lee, H., Tang, C., Yang, S. A., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Dynamic trade finance in the presence of
information frictions and fintech. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, ahead of
print.
Leong, C., Tan, B., Xiao, X., Tan, F. T. C., & Sun, Y. (2017). Nurturing a FinTech ecosystem: The
case of a youth microloan startup in China. International Journal of Information Management,
37(2), 92-97.
Li, J., He, Z., & Wang, S. (2022). A survey of supply chain operation and finance with Fintech:
Research framework and managerial insights. International Journal of Production Economics,
247, 108431.
Saberi, S., Kouhizadeh, M., Sarkis, J., & Shen, L. (2019). Blockchain technology and its
relationships to sustainable supply chain management. International Journal of Production
Research, 57(7), 2117-2135.
Sloboda, L., Dunas, N., & Limański, A. (2018). Contemporary challenges and risks of retail banking
development in Ukraine. Banks & Bank Systems, 13(1), 88-97.
Soni, G., Kumar, S., Mahto, R. V., Mangla, S. K., Mittal, M. L., & Lim, W. M. (2022). A decisionmaking framework for Industry 4.0 technology implementation: The case of FinTech and
sustainable supply chain finance for SMEs. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180,
121686.
Song, H., Han, S., Liu, W., & Ganguly, A. (2023). What role do FinTech companies play in supply
chain finance? A signaling intermediary perspective. Journal of Business & Industrial
Marketing, 38(6), 1279-1294.
Takeda, A., & Ito, Y. (2021). A review of FinTech research. International Journal of Technology
Management, 86(1), 67-88.
Taneja, S., Siraj, A., Ali, L., Kumar, A., Luthra, S., & Zhu, Y. (2023). Is fintech implementation a
strategic step for sustainability in today’s changing landscape? An empirical investigation.
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, ahead of print.
Wang, J., Zhao, L., & Huchzermeier, A. (2021). Operations‐finance interface in risk management:
Research evolution and opportunities. Production and Operations Management, 30(2), 355-389.
Xiang, D., Zhang, Y., & Worthington, A. (2021). Determinants of the Use of Fintech Finance
Among Chinese Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management, 68(6), 1590 – 1604.
Xu, Y., Yuan, L., Lee, H., Baire, S., Nakonieczny, J., & Zhao, X. (2023). Fintech development and
firm technological innovation efficiency: empirical findings in China. IEEE Transactions on
Engineering Management, ahead of print.
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management is journal of the Technology and Engineering
Management Society of IEEE, published quarterly since 1954. It is dedicated to the publication of
peer-reviewed original contributions, by researchers and practitioners, regarding the theory and
practice of engineering, technology, and innovation management.
Editor in Chief
Tugrul U Daim, PhD and Fulbright Scholar
Professor and Associate Director
Mark O. Hatfield Cybersecurity & Cyber Defense Policy Center
Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science
Portland State University, Portland OR
United States
Add Comment