Supply chain resilience in the face of uncertainty: how horizontal and vertical collaboration can help?

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 outbreak highlights that many supply chains are exposed to unforeseen disruptions, that risks are unavoidable, and that the international nature of supply chains can seriously disrupt normal operations. Therefore, the need for Supply Chain Resilience (SCRES) is more imperative than ever. Furthermore, collaboration in supply chains may have benefitted the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of how collaboration with both types of horizontal and vertical collaboration in the supply chain affects its resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

A thematic analysis of the literature is used to investigate the concepts of both vertical and horizontal collaboration and supply chain resilience separately, then integrating identified themes to understand the relationship between them through a thematic map.

Findings

The thematic analysis indicates that the more firms collaborate in the supply chain, the more resilient they will be. Furthermore, both horizontal and vertical collaboration between supply chain partners will enhance resilience. This relationship is positively moderated by governance in the partnership and negatively moderated by competition in the partnership.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers to provide in-depth insights into how collaboration, with both types of horizontal and vertical collaboration, affects supply chain resilience. Neither of previous articles provide an understanding of how both types of collaboration enables supply chain resilience.

Citation

Lotfi, M. and Larmour, A. (2022), "Supply chain resilience in the face of uncertainty: how horizontal and vertical collaboration can help?", Continuity & Resilience Review, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 37-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/CRR-04-2021-0016