Mapping supply chain resilience elements with the disaster management cycle: a dynamic capability view (working paper)

Ahmad, Rizwan and Chowdhury, Mesbahuddin and Vargo, John (2020)

Centre for Business, Information Technology and Enterprise, School of Business and Administration, Working paper

Abstract or Summary

Purpose/aims – The supply chain resilience (SCRES) definition contains four main characteristics – ability to prepare, respond, recover and grow in the face of a disruption, which fundamentally reflects various stages of a disruption. Adopting the dynamic capability view (DCV), this study aims to develop an integrated framework of SCRES by investigating elements that help build a resilient supply chain (SC) and exploring operational interdependencies among SCRES elements and the disaster management phases. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory case study approach involving six SC disruptions linked to two SCs was adopted. Within the two SCs, 42 relevant managers/owners across 23 different SC partners participated in the study. Findings – The case studies of six SC disruptions revealed a generic list of SCRES elements that help SC partners to effectively manage a disruption. The SCRES elements were classified based on the theoretical definition of each phase of a disruption, which leads to the development of an integrated framework called “SCRES cycle”. This framework explains SCRES as a cyclic process and describes interdependencies between SCRES elements and the disaster management cycle (DMC). Originality/implications – This study is one of its kind to comprehensively explore SCRES in the context of DMC. Previous studies exploring the two concepts ignore the learning phase, which, according to the SCRES literature, is an essential part of the SCRES definition. This study reveals a refined framework that provides a practical guide for managers by explaining the distinct capabilities required in each phase of a disruption.