How intellectual capital builds supply chain resilience? Exploring mediation and interaction effects from an intellectual capital based view

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between the three dimensions of intellectual capital (IC), i.e. human, social and organizational, and supply chain resilience (SCR) through testing a primary (mediation) and competing (moderation) model. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling and regression analysis were used to test the mediation and moderation models using survey data from Chinese manufacturers. Findings Dual processes in which human, social and organizational capitals build SCR are revealed: all three IC components act as knowledge stocks for informing each other, and both organizational and social capitals act as intervention mechanisms that draw knowledge resided within individuals and collectively deploy/enrich such knowledge for responding to supply chain disruptions. Practical implications The empirical results provide useful and timely guidance to managers on how to leverage knowledge resources to develop resilience, which is particularly valuable in the current volatile environment. Originality/value By empirically testing both the mediation and moderation models, this study provides crucial evidence for advancing the understanding of how the three IC components may be managed to achieve SCR, which is of critical importance for addressing the many unprecedented disruptions facing global supply chains and economies.

Proactive boundary‐spanning search, organizational resilience, and radical green innovation

“…Third, value-chain-based proactive search is an interactive process, and its advantages originate from the practice of building mutual understanding and solving problems together (Jia et al, 2020). By building partnerships with other valuechain partners, firms can quickly perceive risks when crisis events occur (Bao et al, 2021), orchestrate external resources in a short time to solve emergencies (Barasa et al, 2018;Sheng, 2017), and then enhance organizational resilience (Cheng & Lu, 2017;Yu et al, 2023). Forth, value-chain-based proactive search enables firms to prepare for and adapt to crises in advance, launch various emergency plans (Bode & Macdonald, 2017), minimize the impact of the external environment, and foster organizational resilience, thereby accelerating organizational resilience.…”

“…Accordingly, firms can improve not only their early warning ability and help them identify customers' green needs and potential green market (Jia et al, 2020;Yao et al, 2021), but also promote them to effectively explore new solutions and timely develop new green products to meet market needs (Akgün & Keskin, 2014;Yu et al, 2023), thus enhancing radical green innovation. Therefore, we propose the following hypothesis:…”

“…This shows that firms can form organizational resilience to adapt to the external environment through proactive boundaryspanning search and thus promote radical green innovation. Even though previous research on organizational resilience has identified several antecedents, including environmental shocks (Duchek, 2020;Williams & Shepherd, 2016), organizational learning (Do et al, 2022;Linnenluecke, 2017), social capital (Jia et al, 2020;Ma & Zhang, 2022;Yu et al, 2023), and green supplier integration (Ji et al, 2020). It is still unclear how proactive boundary-spanning search drives organizational resilience.…”