Due to globalization of trade, academicians in Scientific Research Management field are logically interested in global flow management, and it is clear that there is a great diversity of approaches across disciplines and the objects related. The concepts such as industry, global value chains, distribution channels, global channels and international supply chains are often used by researchers. If there are similarities between these concepts, then the differences cannot be hidden. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis of these concepts and provide a framework for the use of each.

The ongoing liberalization of markets and the simultaneous emergence of newly industrialized countries, particularly the quartet Brazil-Russia-India-China, have contributed to an unparalleled global economy and trade growing steadily over the last 20 years. If the current economic crisis has somewhat reduced the volume of these exchanges, concerns about a global sourcing and/or subcontracting internationally will have taken more importance in the quest for business competitiveness.

For multinational corporations, the globalization of trade implies a global flow management. It is, therefore, left to the strategic choices of companies to ensure supply or production at the lowest cost, to ensure value creation throughout the international supply chains, and sometimes relocate activities to improve responsiveness to markets.

From the point of view of international management, and more specifically the management of multinational firms, such trends raise questions about the different theoretical approaches used in the study of control of global flows. Michael Porter’s approach of explaining value creation as limited to individual enterprise has become outdated by changes in value generating activities, notably due to outsourcing. The concept of value chain, in line with the value system of Porter, is then extended to include new activities, especially the phases upstream and downstream business. Similarly, the concept of global value chain, similar to the concept of industry in Economics (Rastoin et al., 2005), permits an overrun of the concept of global commodity chain (Gereffi and Korzeniewicz, 1994) by initiating a reflection on a territorial fragmentation of production processes across multiple areas/countries worldwide. This concept also is an attempt to group approaches in industrial economics (Bencharif and Rastoin, 2007) in the framework of the theory of Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP). Finally, the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM), which is a management science, broadens the spectrum approaching relationships in a systemic vision through the coordination of all components and stakeholders’ international supply chains.

Supply Chain Management Journal, Global Flow Management, Globalization of trade, academicians, Scientific Research Management, Supply Chain Management (SCM), , Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP), Synthesis of Concepts and Approaches.