Investigating the relationship between digital technologies, supply chain integration and firm resilience in the context of COVID-19

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly augmented the complexity of information, adding to the challenges that firms face in effectively processing and grasping accurate information. As a result, the production uncertainty of firms has been seriously intensified during the pandemic, disrupting the normal operation of firms and their supply chains. Digital technologies serve as salient tools that help firms to process and analyse information, consequently enhancing firm resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions. This study aims to examine how digital technologies affect firm resilience in the context of COVID-19 through the lens of information processing theory and a large-scale survey conducted among Chinese manufacturers. Specifically, our study evaluates the mediating effect of supply chain integration (internal integration, customer integration and supplier integration) and the moderating effect of information complexity. The results show that supply chain integration plays a mediating role in the effect of digital technologies on firm resilience, and the mediation effect is particularly significant for customer integration. Furthermore, digital technologies have a stronger impact on firm resilience when information complexity is high. The findings advance our understanding and recognition of the resilience implications of digital technologies and provide important managerial implications for improving firm resilience in the context of COVID-19.

Impact of supply chain digitalization on supply chain resilience and performance: A multi-mediation model

“…Smart management practices enable the development of digital capabilities, such as digital culture and innovation capabilities, which can positively impact on SCR. Cui et al (2022) state that digital technology adoption can impact on resilience by facilitating supply chain integration, including internal, customer, and supplier integration. Internal integration emphasizes the ability to enhance cross-functional collaboration through digital technology, which enhances internal process efficiency.…”

Blockchain technology in supply chain management: an organizational theoretic overview and research agenda

“…as the most utilised theories and they have been utilised in context of adoption and possible implications of implementing BT in SC. This indicates that BT in SC research is attracting researchers apply a diverse set of theories and stimulates further research by applying theories to understand the impact of BT on SC Integration, SC Collaboration, SC Resilience (Cui et al, 2022 ) and ultimately SC Performance. In case of features, traceability, transparency, and trust are the most talked about ones.…”

Digital economy in Southeast Asia: challenges, opportunities and future development

“…Companies in SEA will be able more agile and customer-focused via the adoption of e-commerce, digital marketing and branding, social media platforms, and software to manage customers within and across countries more easily. Also, digitalisation, digital platforms and digital technologies will improve organisations’ operations and supply chain management, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic (Cui, Wu, Wu, Kumar, & Tan, 2022; Zhao, Hong, & Lau, 2023). Cost reduction and operational continuity were well observed during the COVID-19 pandemic when most of business activities and operations were shiftted from offline to online.…”