Comparing regions globally: impacts of COVID-19 on supply chains – a Delphi study
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 31 May 2022
Issue publication date: 8 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged supply chains (SCs) around the globe unprecedentedly. This study aims to gain insights on the impacts of the pandemic on SCs and their management under consideration of different regional contexts on a global scale.
Design/methodology/approach
A Delphi study collects the expertise of global SC academics on the SC vulnerabilities and the measures for responding to disruptions, improving resilience, and restoring operations. Data from three polls are systematically analyzed by content, frequency, and cluster analysis.
Findings
The study identifies and ranks ten major issues related to SC vulnerabilities and management strategies for specific SC processes and geographical regions. Detected differences among the considered geographical regions point towards particular challenges and call for specific measures to integrate regional contingencies into SC management. In a regional comparison, China and Iran as well as Africa clearly stand out, but also Europe/North America, India/Pakistan, and Brazil show geographical particularities.
Research limitations/implications
The responses are collected against the COVID-19 pandemic, while the findings show differences among the regions thereby arguing for taking regional contingencies into account in managing SCs.
Practical implications
SC resilience is a core aim, which was emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings provide insights and challenges that managers would have to meet in the different regions covered.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to existing knowledge on SC risks and SC resilience in context to extreme situations. Given that events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, will become more frequent in the future due to climate change and geopolitical tensions, insights into how to manage SCs under extreme conditions and into regional differences are crucial.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service) for funding of the project “Exploring focal firms' performance features in BoP supply chain management – taking the case of Pakistan” (Grant number 57459038 and 57567483) supporting the research of Sadaf Aman and the project “Sustainable Textile Supply Chains in Ethiopia and Germany” (Grant number 57504740) supporting the research of Ronak Warasthe.
Citation
Seuring, S., Brandenburg, M., Sauer, P.C., Schünemann, D.-S., Warasthe, R., Aman, S., Qian, C., Petljak, K., Neutzling, D.M., Land, A. and Khalid, R.U. (2022), "Comparing regions globally: impacts of COVID-19 on supply chains – a Delphi study", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 42 No. 8, pp. 1077-1108. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-10-2021-0675
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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