Food for thought: Recalls and outcomes. Issue 1 (30th March 2021) - Wowak, Kaitlin D.
Abstract: Little is known about the underlying product recall process that food companies go through to identify and remove tainted products from the supply chain or why this process varies. To help fill this void in the literature and close the gap between what we know and what we need to know about product recalls, we use a grounded theory approach to develop mid‐range theorizing about food recalls. In doing so, our findings reveal that two manifestations of complexity—upstream and downstream—introduce recall uncertainty, which is the driving force behind why the recall process varies. Our study is also the first to propose that managers use recall options when trying to manage recall uncertainty. Furthermore, our study reveals that product recalls may not cleanly fall into recall categories as previously thought, but rather take the form of recall layering—that is, nested recalls or a recall within a larger recall. Overall, our mid‐range theorizing (a) offers key insights about why the recall process varies within a massive industry that affects every person; (b) provides a detailed agenda to guide subsequent research; and (c) suggests practical steps managers can take to better manage future recalls.