The impact of information technology usage on supply chain resilience and performance: An ambidexterous view

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have recognized the importance of supply chain (SC) resilience. However, it remains unclear how to build SC resilience and whether SC resilience can enhance firm performance and bring values to customers. By analyzing data collected from 206 manufacturers in China, this study empirically examines how firms implement different information technology (IT) patterns (exploitative versus explorative) with SC partners to achieve supplier and customer resilience from information processing theory, and examines the performance implications of these two dimensions of SC resilience. In addition, this study also investigates how IT ambidexterity reconciles the paradox between IT exploitation and IT exploration in enhancing SC resilience. The results show that both supplier and customer resilience could improve SC performance. To achieve the two aspects of SC resilience, only explorative use of IT with suppliers and customers have significant effects. The results also show that the ambidextrous use of IT on the customer side takes effect. The exploitative and explorative use of IT complement each other to improve customer resilience. The findings of this study contribute to IT and SC resilience literature.

Building supply chain resilience through ambidexterity: an information processing perspective

“…In addition, a few studies focus on SCR by adopting IPT as a theoretical foundation (e.g. Dubey et al 2021;Gu, Yang, and Huo 2021;Pettit, Croxton, and Fiksel 2019;Yang et al 2021;Wong et al 2020). For example, Wong et al (2020) believe that SCR outcomes depend largely on the impact of external factors on information processing capability and business operations.…”

“…Yang et al (2021) propose that the match between information processing capability and information processing requirements can enhance risk management capabilities, leading to better SCR performance. Moreover, enhancing data analysis capability and implementing different information technologies can also lead to better information processing capability and help to achieve a resilient supply chain (Dubey et al 2021;Gu, Yang, and Huo 2021).…”

“…Against this backdrop, mitigating supply chain disruptions by building supply chain resilience (SCR) has emerged as critical, and now commands considerable academic attention (Gu, Yang, and Huo 2021;Yang et al 2021;Wong et al 2020). SCR refers to the dynamic capability to quickly respond to unexpected events and recover promptly by maintaining continuity of operations (Christopher and Peck 2004;Ponomarov and Holcomb 2009).…”

Striking a balance between supply chain resilience and supply chain vulnerability in the cross-border e-commerce supply chain

“…For instance, Christopher and Rutherford (2004) argue that a resilient supply chain is certainly robust and must also be adaptable. Gu, Yang, and Huo (2021) hold the view that the application of information technology between suppliers and customers can improve SCR and supply chain performance.…”

Exploring potential implications of Belt and Road Initiative for supply chain resilience: a comparative study of five South Asian countries

“…Supply chain resilience has been the focus of research in many disciplines, including psychology (Barnett and Pratt, 2000), ecology (Walker et al, 2002;Huma et al, 2020;Gu et al, 2020) and metallurgy (Callister and Rethwisch 2003). By combining the different definitions, they define supply chain resilience as the supply chain's capacity to plan and react to unexpected events to recover from any interruptions and achieve the requisite connectedness and connectivity level.…”