Prescriptive analytics applications in sustainable operations research: conceptual framework and future research challenges

In the broad sphere of Analytics, prescriptive analytics is one of the emerging areas of interest for both academicians and practitioners. As prescriptive analytics has transitioned from its inception to an emerging topic, there is a need to review existing literature in order to ascertain development in this area. There are a very few reviews in the related field but not specifically on the applications of prescriptive analytics in sustainable operations research using content analysis. To address this gap, we performed a review of 147 articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals from 2010 to August 2021. Using content analysis, we have identified the five emerging research themes. Through this study, we aim to contribute to the literature on prescriptive analytics by identifying and proposing emerging research themes and future research directions. Based on our literature review, we propose a conceptual framework for studying the impacts of the adoption of prescriptive analytics and its impact on sustainable supply chain resilience, sustainable supply chain performance and competitive advantage. Finally, the paper acknowledges the managerial implications, theoretical contribution and the limitations of this study.