Supply chain resilience as a viable way to cope with disruptions: an empirical analysis of Italian firms

Disruptive events have characterized modern supply chains over recent decades, influencing reconfigurations of supply chain capabilities, resources, and the paradigm of supply chain resilience in most of industries and countries. Existing studies on this topic are still largely focused on theoretical contributions and case studies, advocating in-depth analysis. The aim of the paper is to contribute to bridging this research gaps, by exploring and empirically investigating how firms have deployed supply chain capabilities to manage COVID-19 pandemic effects and achieve supply chain resilience. In addition, this research extends the existing literature by verifying the direct effect of digital technology resources on achieving supply chain resilience during severe disruptions as well as the indirect relationship between digital technology resources and supply chain resilience through supply chain capability mediators. An empirical investigation among a set of primary data collected from a sample of 164 Italian firms from various industries has been carried out, providing interesting results and implications for businesses and academics. The findings of this research study can support companies to better face other disruptions that stem from a globalized and interconnected world, through learning how to cope with the dramatic effects on populations and on economics and managerial performance.