The global spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as the COVID-19 pandemic, has had a devastating impact on supply chains. Since the pandemic started, scholars have been researching and publishing their studies on the various supply-chain-related issues raised by COVID-19. However, while the number of articles on this subject has been steadily increasing, due to the absence of any systematic literature reviews, it remains unclear what aspects of this disruption have already been studied and what aspects still need to be investigated. The present study systematically reviews existing research on the COVID-19 pandemic in supply chain disciplines. Through a rigorous and systematic search, we identify 74 relevant articles published on or before 28 September 2020. The synthesis of the findings reveals that four broad themes recur in the published work: namely, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, resilience strategies for managing impacts and recovery, the role of technology in implementing resilience strategies, and supply chain sustainability in the light of the pandemic. Alongside the synthesis of the findings, this study describes the methodologies, context, and theories used in each piece of research. Our analysis reveals that there is a lack of empirically designed and theoretically grounded studies in this area; hence, the generalizability of the findings, thus far, is limited. Moreover, the analysis reveals that most studies have focused on supply chains for high-demand essential goods and healthcare products, while low-demand items and SMEs have been largely ignored. We also review the literature on prior epidemic outbreaks and other disruptions in supply chain disciplines. By considering the findings of these articles alongside research on the COVID-19 pandemic, this study offers research questions and directions for further investigation. These directions can guide scholars in designing and conducting impactful research in the field.

COVID-19 pandemic related supply chain studies: a systematic review

Can supply chain risk management practices mitigate the disruption impacts on supply chains’ resilience and robustness? Evidence from an empirical survey in a COVID-19 outbreak era

A recent global pandemic, known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affects the manufacturing supply chains most significantly This effect becomes more challenging for the manufacturers of high-demand and most essential items, such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer In a pandemic situation, the demand of the essential products increases expressively; on the other hand, the supply of the raw materials decreases considerably with a constraint of production capacity These dual disruptions impact the production process suddenly, and the process can collapse without immediate and necessary actions To minimize the impacts of these dual disruptions, we aim to develop a recovery model for making a decision on the revised production plan,In this paper, the authors use a mathematical modeling approach to develop a production recovery model for a high-demand and essential item during the COVID-19 The authors also analyze the properties of the recovery plan, and optimize the recovery plan to maximize the profit in the recovery window,The authors analyze the results using a numerical example The result shows that the developed recovery model is capable of revising the production plan in the situations of both demand and supply disruptions, and improves the profit for the manufacturers The authors also discuss the managerial implications, including the roles of digital technologies in the recovery process,This model, which is a novel contribution to the literature, will help decision-makers of high-demand and essential items to make an accurate and prompt decision in designing the revised production plan to recover during a pandemic, like COVID-19

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A production recovery plan in manufacturing supply chains for a high-demand item during COVID-19

Improving supply chain resilience through industry 4.0: a systematic literature review under the impressions of the COVID-19 pandemic

Two Perspectives on Supply Chain Resilience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on supply chain risk management (SCRM, including risk identification, assessment, treatment, and monitoring), developing a comprehensive definition and conceptual framework; to evaluate prior theory use; and to identify future research directions. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review of 354 articles (published 2000-2016) based on descriptive, thematic, and content analysis. Findings There has been a considerable focus on identifying risk types and proposing risk mitigation strategies. Research has emphasised organisational responses to supply chain risks and made only limited use of theory. Ten key future research directions are identified. Research limitations/implications A broad, contemporary understanding of SCRM is provided; and a new, comprehensive definition is presented covering the process, pathway, and objectives of SCRM, leading to a conceptual framework. The research agenda guides future work towards maturation of the discipline. Practical implications Managers are encouraged to adopt a holistic approach to SCRM. Guidance is provided on how to select appropriate risk treatment actions according to the probability and impact of a risk. Originality/value The first review to consider theory use in SCRM research and to use four SCRM stages to structure the review.

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A review of supply chain risk management: definition, theory, and research agenda

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how supply chain risks can be identified in both collaborative and adversarial buyer–supplier relationships (BSRs) Design/methodology/approach This research includes a multiple-case study involving ten Chinese manufacturers with two informants per organisation Data have been interpreted from a multi-level social capital perspective (ie from both an individual and organisational level), supplemented by signalling theory Findings Buyers use different risk identification strategies or apply the same strategy in different ways according to the BSR type The impact of organisational social capital on risk identification is contingent upon the degree to which individual social capital is deployed in a way that benefits an individual’s own agenda versus that of the organisation Signalling theory generally complements social capital theory and helps further understand how buyers can identify risks, especially in adversarial BSRs, eg by using indirect signals from suppliers or other supply chain actors to “read between the lines” and anticipate risks Research limitations/implications Data collection is focussed on China and is from the buyer side only Future research could explore other contexts and include the supplier perspective Practical implications The types of relationships that are developed by buyers with their supply chain partners at an organisational and an individual level have implications for risk exposure and how risks can be identified The multi-level analysis highlights how strategies such as employee rotation and retention can be deployed to support risk identification Originality/value Much of the extant literature on supply chain risk management is focussed on risk mitigation, whereas risk identification is under-represented A unique case-based insight is provided into risk identification in different types of BSRs by using a multi-level social capital approach complemented by signalling theory

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Reading on and between the lines: risk identification in collaborative and adversarial buyer–supplier relationships

Purpose The aim of the study is to explore how two dimensions of interpersonal relationships (i.e. size and range of relationships) affect supplier-initiating risk management behaviours (SIRMB) and supply-side resilience. Further, the study aims to explore the moderating role of dependence asymmetry. Design/methodology/approach Nine hypotheses are tested based on a moderated mediation analysis of survey data from 247 manufacturing firms in China. The data are validated using a subset of 57 attentive secondary respondents and archival data. Findings SIRMB positively relates to supply-side resilience. Further, SIRMB mediates the positive relationship between range and supply-side resilience, and this relationship is stronger at lower levels of dependence asymmetry. Yet, although dependence asymmetry positively moderates the relationship between range and SIRMB, it negatively moderates the relationship between size and SIRMB. We did not, however, find evidence that size has a conditional indirect effect on supply-side resilience through SIRMB. Practical implications Managers in buying firms can incentivise SIRMB to enhance supply-side resilience by developing a diverse rather than a large set of interpersonal relationships with a supplier. This might include allocating particular employees with a wide range of contacts within a supplier to that relationship, while it may be necessary to adopt different networking strategies for different supplier relationships. Firms in a highly asymmetrical relationship may seek to raise supplier expectations about the necessity to initiate risk management behaviour or look to change the dynamic of the relationship by managing contracts for fairness. Originality/value New knowledge on SIRMB as a mediating variable underpinning the relationship between interpersonal relationships and supply-side resilience is provided; and empirical evidence on the opposing moderation effect of dependence asymmetry is presented.

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Supplier Initiating Risk Management Behaviour and Supply-Side Resilience:The Effects of Interpersonal Relationships and Dependence Asymmetry in Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Prior studies have largely overlooked the potentially negative consequences of a buyer’s relational capital (RC) with a supplier for supply-side resilience, assuming a positive linear relationship between the constructs. Meanwhile, the focus of research has been at an organisational level without incorporating the role of boundary spanning individuals at the interface between buyer and supplier. Drawing on social capital and boundary spanning theory, the purpose of this paper is to: re-examine the relationship between RC and supply-side resilience, challenging the linear assumption; and investigate how both the strength and diversity of a boundary spanner’s ties moderate this relationship.,Survey data are collected from 248 firms and validated using a subset of 57 attentive secondary respondents and archival data. The latent moderated structural equation method is applied to analyse the data.,An inverted U-shaped relationship between RC and supply-side resilience is identified. Tie strength in particular has a positive moderating effect on the relationship. More specifically, the downward RC–supply-side resilience relationship flips into an upward curvilinear relationship when boundary spanning individuals develop stronger ties with supplier personnel.,A deeper insight into the RC–supply-side resilience relationship is provided. Findings are based on Chinese manufacturing firms and cross-sectional data meaning further research is needed to determine their generalisability.,In evaluating how to enhance supply-side resilience, buying firms must decide whether the associated collaborative benefits of developing RC outweigh the potential costs. Managers also need to be concerned with the impact of developing RC between organisations and enhancing the tie strength of individuals simultaneously.,The paper goes beyond the linear relationship between RC and supply-side resilience. Incorporating the moderating role of boundary spanners identifies a novel phenomenon whereby the RC–resilience relationship flips from an inverted to a U-shaped curve.

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Yiyi Fan

Papers

A review of supply chain risk management: definition, theory, and research agenda

Reading on and between the lines: risk identification in collaborative and adversarial buyer–supplier relationships

Supplier Initiating Risk Management Behaviour and Supply-Side Resilience:The Effects of Interpersonal Relationships and Dependence Asymmetry in Buyer-Supplier Relationships

Non-linear effects of relational capital on supply-side resilience:The moderating role of boundary spanners’ personal ties