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The dissertation is titled 'Empirical Examination of Antecedents and Consequences of Managing Risks and Developing Resilience in Supply Chains' by Manal Munir Chaudhry, PhD Management candidate.
Zoom Link: https://lums-edu-pk.zoom.us/j/93084334044?pwd=alpSb1JyUzVCNlRtdUF6V1FwK…;
Meeting ID: 930 8433 4044
Passcode: 190200
Dissertation Defense Committee
Dr. Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq Jajja – Supervisor and Chair
Dr. Kamran Ali Chatha – Co-supervisor
Dr. Zainab Riaz - Member SDSB
Dr. Muhammad Shafique - Member SDSB
Dr. Hassan Mohy Ud Din - Member LUMS
Dr. Muhammad Usman Awan – External Examiner (IQTM-PU)
Abstract
Managing risks and building resilience in the supply chain has been a subject of increasing attention for academics and practitioners alike due to its relevance and importance in the current dynamically changing business landscape. Hence, research in risk management in supply chains has developed quite substantially over the past years. Despite the considerable development in the field, the emerging situation following recent unprecedented disruptive events (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, Suez Canal fiasco, etc.) reinforced that the existing research is insufficient to comprehend and address novel evolving disruptions as they arise. Considering the escalating levels of global uncertainty, it is imperative to explore advanced risk management strategies and practices along supply chains. Broadly, there are two main approaches to managing risks in supply chains, i.e., supply chain risk management (SCRM) and supply chain resilience (SCRES). Both approaches are important for risk management across supply chains when implemented effectively in the relevant context.
This dissertation builds on the existing research on SCRM and SCRES. It consists of three papers presenting conceptual and theoretical foundations and empirical observations concerning critical strategies, capabilities, and practices for enhancing SCRM and SCRES. The first paper is conceptual and focuses on identifying different environmental contexts faced by supply chains in today's dynamic and uncertain business landscape and the strategies currently being followed by supply chains to deal with these varying contexts. A conceptual framework is proposed by analysing important and relevant environment-related concepts from the extant literature, resulting in twelve contexts that today’s supply chains may face. This framework facilitates contextualising SCRM strategies currently being deployed by firms and reported in the supply chain literature. The remaining two papers are both empirical quantitative studies. The second paper focuses on traditional SCRM practices and endeavours to identify the supply chain antecedents and performance consequences of SCRM. Building on the information processing theory (IPT), it explores the association between supply chain integration (SCI) and SCRM and how they improve operational performance. The structural equation modelling technique was employed to evaluate the hypotheses based on data derived from the sixth edition of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS VI) of 931 manufacturing firms. The findings suggest that the three dimensions of SCI, i.e., internal, supplier, and customer integration, individually and cumulatively, facilitate SCRM, ultimately enhancing operational performance. Moreover, SCRM mediates the association between SCI and operational performance. Finally, the third paper is developed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and investigates the critical capabilities that enhance resilience and responsiveness and, thereby, supply chain performance. Using dynamic capabilities view (DCV), anticipation and improvisation are proposed as the two complementing capabilities that operate distinctly and jointly to facilitate SCRES and responsiveness under urgent and unexpected change and disruptions. Also, the role of data analytics capability is highlighted as an information processing capability to enhance the visibility required to develop and exercise anticipation and improvisation capabilities. The structured equation modelling technique is employed for testing the proposed associations empirically using survey data from 206 manufacturers operating during the COVID-19 pandemic in a developing country, Pakistan. The findings suggest that both anticipation and improvisation improve SCRES and responsiveness and resultantly supply chain performance. Also, data analytics capability positively affects both anticipation and improvisation capability, which mediates the effect of data analytics on SCRES and responsiveness. Overall, this dissertation explores different approaches for managing risks along the supply chain to deal with the turbulent environment, gain a competitive advantage, and catalyse further inquiry by summing up existing research, identifying research gaps, and advancing the body of knowledge in multiple research areas. Specifically, it contributes to the existing literature in the fields of supply chain uncertainty, SCRM, SCI, SCRES, supply chain responsiveness, and data analytics. Also, it extends the theorisation and applicability of IPT and DCV in the domain of SCRM and SCRES. Lastly, it offers guidance to decision-makers, specifically supply chain managers, searching for ways to deal with increasing complexity, uncertainty, risks, and challenges of external environment dynamics while maintaining their firms' long-term survival, sustainability, and resilience.