Transforming resilience in the context of a pandemic: results from a cross-industry case study exploring supply chain viability

Lately, there has been increased interest among researchers in studying the resilience of manufacturing supply chains. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in global supply chains, which have led to calls for greater resilience in these supply chains. This study provides insights into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on supply chain resilience by conducting a multiple case study in three intertwined industries based on the dynamic capability view and the relational capability view as a theoretical underpinning. Data were collected during the pandemic in a two-stage interview process with 18 supply chain and production experts directly involved in crisis management. Internal and external documents supplemented the interviews. The results revealed seven higher-level capability groups for building resilience in intertwined supply chains during a pandemic outbreak: agility, collaboration, digital preparedness, flexible redundancy, human resource management, contingency planning, and transparency and visibility. Each capability group is supported by associated capabilities extracted from the data analysis. The findings obtained based on the results of the multiple case study are discussed, and implications for management and future research directions are presented.

Automated summary

This study provides insights into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on supply chain resilience through a multiple case study in three intertwined industries. The results reveal seven capability groups for building resilience in supply chains during a pandemic outbreak, and implications for management and future research directions are presented.