The intent of the paper is to develop the service marketing logic (S-D logic) strategy that is centered on service as a means to differentiate global strategy from those of competitors. The context of the paper is to examine S-D logic in global supply chains.

The paper is a theory driven conceptual piece.

Globalization emphasizes complex interconnected systems, while S-D logic emphasizes the importance of leveraging operant resources in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Both S-D logic and globalization apply in the supply chain context. This paper focuses on the global supply chain and the importance of leveraging service based operant resources. Because the focus of management has shifted from a domestic to a more complex, three-dimensional network, it is critical for practitioners and researchers to understand how to optimize service based operant resources in the global marketplace.

Because the focus of management has shifted from a domestic to a more complex, three-dimensional global network, it is critical for practitioners and researchers to understand how to optimize service based operant resources in the global marketplace. We suggest that in this dynamic marketplace, both globalization and S-D logic are required to fully explain supply chain performance. Specifically, we suggest that managers develop a global ‘supply-chain management’ perspective allowing for the key operant resource – human capital – to create synergistic partner relationships and customer experiences resulting in superior performance.

This is one of the first (if not the first) paper that examines S-D logic in a global context. This move forward from the domestic orientation of many/most of the recent literature provides the foundation for future global research into the S-D logic.