Plastic response to disruptions: Significant redesign of supply chains

Abstract

A plastic response is a type of resilient response to disruption whereby a supply chain is significantly redesigned. This is in contrast to the most common responses to disruption emphasized in the extant resilience literature, in which restoration of a supply chain to its pre-disruption state is typically the focus. Researching plastic responses is important because they differ greatly from restoration. A plastic response is a new way to operate, thus requiring implementation of major changes to the supply chain. Accordingly, a foundational premise is adopted to characterize a plastic response as (1) a significant redesign, (2) due to a pressing need, (3) requiring most or all of the following: acquisition of new skills, investment in new assets and leadership support, (4) a permanent new way to operate. Additionally, eight propositions are offered to serve as bases for further research. These relate to two fundamental issues: when are plastic responses most likely to be exercised and how to enable plastic responses. The propositions were developed through qualitative data analysis and informed by change management theory. The data were collected from in-depth interviews with global corporations in a variety of industries. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are offered at the end.

Agri‐food supply chain resilience strategies for preparing, responding, recovering, and adapting in relation to unexpected crisis: A cross‐country comparative analysis from the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Scholars have frequently discussed the abovementioned resilience capabilities in the context of tackling supply chain disruptions (Hughes et al, 2023; Leat & Revoredo‐Giha, 2013). However, few have investigated the influence of cultural value orientations on SCRes (Sarafan et al, 2020).…”

In search of operational resilience: How and when improvisation matters

“…Supply chain scholars disagree on the definition and conceptual domain of the resilience concept (Davis‐Sramek & Richey Jr, 2021; Jiang et al, 2023; Wieland & Durach, 2021). From engineering and socio‐ecological perspectives, resilience can manifest in a system's ability to absorb, recover from, adapt to, or transform in response to disruptions (Davis‐Sramek & Richey Jr, 2021; Hughes et al, 2022; Wieland & Durach, 2021). A growing number of supply chain scholars argue that these core manifestations of resilience should be distinguished from potential antecedents such as improvisation, buffering resources (e.g., slack), bridging resources (e.g., collaboration), visibility, agility, flexibility, preparedness, and anticipation (Chowdhury et al, 2023; Eryarsoy et al, 2022; Essuman et al, 2020; Munir et al, 2022; Scholten et al, 2019).…”

A case and framework for expanding the use of model‐free evidence

“…The Hughes et al's (2022) article on this issue offers a theoretically motivated understanding of what the authors call a “plastic response” to supply chain disruptions. There has been a significant emphasis in JBL on the topic of supply chain resilience, including a special topic forum (e.g.…”