Walter Zinn

Professor Zinn’s career balances interests in logistics and supply chain research, academic administration, editorial responsibilities, global connections within the supply chain field and, of course, teaching. Contribution to research centers broadly on the relationship between inventory management and customer service and specifically on the issues of postponement, portfolio effect, consumer responses to stockouts and risk management. His current work is on supply chain plasticity and crowdsourced delivery decisions.

The academic administrative experience includes program management, a six-year term as Chair of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, as well as a term as Fisher College’s Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Programs from 2016 to 2019. Professor Zinn is also immediate past Co-Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Business Logistics (2015-2020). He had previously served as Systems Section Editor for the same journal.

His global work includes travel to speak at conferences and work with the academic and business communities in the US, Europe, China and Latin America. He also completed two studies for the World Bank, both discussing supply chain management problems generated by imperfections in public policy. Professor Zinn’s teaches both graduate and undergraduate logistics courses, including a projects course in which he directed student teams in more that 100 projects spanning clients in the US and throughout the globe.

Vadakkepatt, G. G., Winterich, K. P., Mittal, V., Zinn, W., Beitelspacher, L., Aloysius, J., Ginger, J., Reilman, J. (2020). Sustainable Retailing. Journal of Retailing. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022435920300713

Stank, T., Esper, T. L., Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W., Autry, C. (2019). Toward a Digitally-Dominant Paradigm for 21st Century Supply Chain Scholarship. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, Vol. 49 No. 10, pp. 956-971.

Zinn, Walter, “A Historical Review of Postponement Research, Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 40, Num. 1, 2019, pp. 66-72.

Zinn, Walter and Thomas J. Goldsby, “Logistics Professional Identity: Strengthening the Discipline as Galaxies Collide,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 35, Num. 1, 2014, pp. 68-73.

Wang, Ping, Walter Zinn and Keely l. Croxton, “Sizing Inventory When Lead Time and Demand are Correlated,” Production and Operations Management Journal, Vol. 19, Num. 4, July/August 2010, pp. 480–484

Knemeyer, M. August, Walter Zinn and Cuneyt Eroglu, “Proactive Planning for Catastrophic Events in Supply Chains,” Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 27, 2009, pp.141-153.

Zinn, Walter and Peter C. Liu, “A Comparison of Actual and Intended Consumer Behavior in Response to Retail Stockouts,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 29, Num. 2, 2008, pp. 141-160.

Zinn, Walter and John M. Charnes, “A Comparison of the Economic Order Quantity and Quick Response Inventory Replenishment Methods,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 26, Num. 2, 2005, pp. 119-142.

Croxton, Keely L. and Walter Zinn, “Inventory Considerations in Network Design,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 26, Num. 1, 2005, pp. 149-168. This paper was awarded the Bernard J. LaLonde Award for best paper published in JBL in 2005.

Wanke, Peter R. and Walter Zinn, “Strategic Logistics Decision Making,” International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, Vol.34, Num. 6, 2004, pp. 466-478.

Zinn, Walter, John T. Mentzer and Keely L. Croxton, “Customer Based Measures of Inventory Availability,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 23, Num. 2, 2002, pp. 19-44.

Zinn, Walter and Peter A. Liu, “Consumer Response to Retail Stockouts,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 22, Num. 1, 2001, pp. 49-72.

Zinn, Walter and A. Parasuraman, "Scope and Intensity of Logistics-Based Strategic Alliances," Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 26, Num. 2, 1997, pp. 137-147.

Zinn, Walter, "The New Logistics in Latin America:  An Overview of Current Status and Opportunities,"  International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 7 Num. 1, 1996, pp. 61-71. This article was updated, translated to French and reprinted in Logistique et Management, Vol. 6, Num.1, 1998, pp. 59-70.

Grewal, Dhruv and Walter Zinn, "Pricing Products in Inflationary Environments: The Combined Effects of Inflation, Hyperinflation and Interest Rate on Customer and Firm Behavior," Pricing Strategy & Practice: An International Journal, Vol. 4, Num. 1, 1996, pp. 4-10.

Charnes, John M., Howard Marmorstein and Walter Zinn, "Safety Stock Determination With Serially Correlated Demand In a Periodic-Review Inventory System," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 46, 1995, pp. 1006-1013. Translated to Portuguese and reprinted in Gestao & Producao, Vol. 4, Num. 2, 1997, pp. 140-149.

Lassar, Walfried and Walter Zinn, "Informal Channel Relationships in Logistics," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 16, Num. 1, 1995, pp. 81-106.

Dominguez, Luis V. and Walter Zinn, "International Supplier Characteristics Associated With Successful Long-Term Buyer/Seller Relationships," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 15, Num. 2, 1994, pp. 63-88.

Marmorstein, Howard and Walter Zinn, "A Conditional Effect of Autocorrelated Demand on Safety Stock  Determination," European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 68, Num. 1, 1993, 139-142.

Sarel, Dan and Walter Zinn, "Customer and Non-Customer Perceptions of Third-Party Services: Are They Similar?" International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 3, Num. 1, 1992, pp. 12-22.

Zinn, Walter, Howard Marmorstein and John M. Charnes, "The Effect of Autocorrelated Demand on Customer Service," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol.13, Num. 1, 1992, 173-192.

Zinn, Walter, "O Retardamento da Montagem Final de Produtos Como Estratégia de Marketing e Distribuição," Revista de Administração de Empresas, Vol. 4, 1990, pp. 53-59.

Zinn, Walter, "Developing Heuristics to Estimate the Impact of Postponement on Safety Stock," International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 1, Num. 2, 1990, pp. 11-16.

Zinn, Walter and Scott D. Johnson, "The Commodity Approach in Marketing Research: Is it Really Obsolete?" Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 18, Num. 4, 1990, pp. 345-354.

Zinn, Walter and Howard Marmorstein, "Comparing Two Alternative Methods of Determining Safety Stock: The Demand and the Forecast Systems," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 11, Num. 1, 1990, pp. 95-110.

Zinn, Walter and Robert E. Grosse, "An Empirical Assessment of Barriers to Globalization: Is Global Distribution Possible?" International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 1, Num. 1, 1990, pp. 13-18.

Grosse, Robert E. and Walter Zinn, "Standardization in International Marketing: The Latin American Case," Journal of Global Marketing, Vol. 4, Num. 1, 1990, pp. 53-78.

Zinn, Walter, "Should You Assemble Products Before A Customer Order is Received?" Business Horizons, Vol. 33, Num. 2, 1990, 70-73.

Zinn, Walter, Michael Levy and Donald J. Bowersox, "Measuring the Effect of Inventory Centralization/Decentralization on Aggregate Safety Stock: The Square Root Law Revisited," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 10, Num. 1, 1989, pp. 1-14.

Zinn, Walter and Michael Levy, "Speculative Inventory Management: A Total Channel Perspective," International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, Vol. 18, Num. 5, 1988, pp. 34-39.

Zinn, Walter and Donald J. Bowersox , "Planning Physical Distribution with the Principle of Postponement," Journal of Business Logistics, Vol.9, Num. 2, 1988, 117-136.

Published Editorials:

Esper, T. L., Castillo, V. E., Ren, X. K., Sodero, A. C., Wan, X., Croxton, K. L., Knemeyer, A. Michael, DeNunzio, S. R., Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2020). Everything Old is New Again: The Age of Consumer-Centric Supply Chain Management, Journal of Business Logistics, 41(4), 286-293.

Esper, T. L., Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2020). A Challenge in our Time: Issues of Race in Supply Chain Management, Journal of Business Logistics, 41(2), 178-181.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2020). Global Supply Chains: Globalization Research in a Changing World, Journal of Business Logistics, 41(1), 1-3.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2019). What Makes for a Contribution? Elaborating on Our Publication Expectations at JBL, Journal of Business Logistics,40(4), 282-288.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2019). Supply Chain Plasticity: Redesigning Supply Chains to Meet Major Environmental Change, Journal of Business Logistics, 40(3), 184-186.

Hong, P., Schoenherr, T., Hult, G.T.M., Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2019). “Cross-functional Management and Base-of-Pyramid Issues in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.” Journal of Business Logistics, 40(2), 76-80.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W., Closs, D.J., Daugherty, P.J., Stock, J.R., Fawcett, S.E., Waller, M. (2019). “Reflections on 40 Years of the Journal of Business Logistics: From the Editors.” Journal of Business Logistics, 40(1), 4-29.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2018). “Methods to Our Madness: Adapting Methods to the Changing Nature of Our Problems.” Journal of Business Logistics, 39(4), 234-241.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. & Cooper, M.C. (2018). “Researching the Opportunities and Challenges for Women in Supply Chain.” Journal of Business Logistics, 39(2), 84-86.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2018). “A Tribute to Our Founding Father, Professor Bernard J. "Bud" LaLonde.” Journal of Business Logistics, 39(1), 4-6.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2017). “The Role of Academic Research in Supply Chain Practice: How Much Are We Contributing?” Journal of Business Logistics, 38(4), 236-237.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2017). “Research and Researchers: The Enduring Value of Conferences to Logistics and Supply Chain Scholars.” Journal of Business Logistics, 38(3), 148-150.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2017). “Ensuring Impact: Thought Leadership in Logistics and Supply Chain Research.” Journal of Business Logistics, 38(2), 78-79.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2017). “In Search of Research Ideas? Ask a Professional.” Journal of Business Logistics, 38(1), 4-5.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2016). “Adding Relevance to Rigor in Research: The JBL Practitioner Panel.” Journal of Business Logistics, 37(4), 310-311.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T. J. (2016). “The “Invisible Hands” in Research: The Critical Roles of Reviewers and Associate Editors.” Journal of Business Logistics, 37(3), 202-204.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2016). “Technology Innovation and New Business Models: Can Logistics and Supply Chain Research Accelerate the Evolution?” Journal of Business Logistics, 37(2), 80-81.

Zinn, W., Goldsby, T.J. (2016). “Editorial,” Journal of Business Logistics, Vol. 37(1), 4-5.

Goldsby, T. J., Zinn, W. (2015). “A Message from the Incoming Editor Team,” Journal of Business Logistics, 36(3), 240 – 241.