Development of Resilience in Supply Chain Networks

Abstract

Supply chains (SC) serve as the lifeblood of global economies, facilitating resource flow across organizational boundaries. As global commerce expands, SCs scale to meet requirements, forming vast interconnected networks (SCN). Researchers have long studied SCN dynamics, focusing on preventing disruptions. However, SCN resilience (SCNR) is an emerging but nascent concept, which emphasizes the ability of SCNs to persist, adapt, and transform despite disruptions. The idea is that SCNR is fostered through a collective of firm-level SC resilience (SCR) capabilities. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to expand understanding of how SCNR develops. To explore this topic, we conducted two studies. In the first, we completed a systematic review of 116 peer-reviewed articles on SCNR. Drawing from the SC Responsiveness View and SCN theory, we developed an expanded conceptualization of the phenomenon. The study resulted in the creation of a conceptual framework and six propositions to explain how firm-level activities influence network-level resilience and how the network environment influences the capabilities that firms adopt. In the second study, we conducted a theory-based and data-driven exploration of how cooperation among competitors (i.e., co-opetition) in the trucking industry influences risk management at the firm level and collectively contributes to network-level resilience. Drawing from the Knowledge-Based View, Organizational Learning Theory, and semi-structured interviews with 33 trucking industry executives, we added to the co-opetition literature by providing new insights into how it manifests. We also extended SCR research by demonstrating how an organization’s social network can help with risk mitigation and ultimately influence the resilience of SCNs.