Control variable use and reporting in operations management: a systematic literature review and revisit

The purpose of this paper is to identify (1) to what extent do researchers follow standards on the use and reporting of control variables? (2) what are the main weaknesses presented in current as they relate to control variable inclusion/exclusion? And (3) what are the recommendations based on previous standards when it comes to the selection and inclusion of control variables? We do this through the lens of Operations Management literature (inclusive of Supply Chain Management, Information Systems and Knowledge Management) to control for field specific practices and apply management theory as an initial lens to examine best practices. An extensive systematic literature review and content analysis is conducted on literature spanning 2010-2020. Control variable analyses are conducted and organized into interdisciplinary domains and DVs, providing researchers with insights in use of specific control variables from a micro-level perspective. Next, we identify strengths and weaknesses in current control variable use among a ten-year span from a macro perspective. We also provide trends across time on control variable use and inclusion.