Governance mode in reshoring: a systematic review and future research agenda

Reshoring has become a widely discussed topic in the wake of recent disruptive events. However, the governance mode – whether activities are carried out in-house or outsourced – remains an overlooked aspect in reshoring research. The governance mode determines whether reshoring occurs within the manufacturing network (internal) or the supply chain (external to the focal firm), each involving different mechanisms and implications. This is the first systematic literature review to focus specifically on governance modes in reshoring. By analysing 119 papers, it aims to establish the current state of research and stimulate future studies. Our main contribution is twofold: first, we provide a structured overview of how conceptual and empirical evidence on governance modes in reshoring differs according to the main elements of reshoring (decision, contingencies, antecedents, implementation, and outcomes). Second, we derive a research agenda to guide future research based on factors that warrant further attention and identified research gaps. The research agenda supports researchers in developing a more sophisticated understanding of reshoring by combining internal and external perspectives. Practitioners benefit from the structured overview, as a comprehensive understanding of the implications of governance modes on reshoring decisions enables them to make more informed choices.