Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the resilience domain, which is important in the
field of supply chain management; it investigates the effects relational competencies have for resilience
and the effect resilience, in turn, has on a supply chain’s customer value.
Design/methodology/approach – The research is empirical in nature and employs a confirmatory
approach that builds on the relational view as a primary theoretical foundation. It utilizes survey data
collected from manufacturing firms from three countries, which is analyzed using structural equation
modeling.
Findings – It is found that communicative and cooperative relationships have a positive effect on
resilience, while integration does not have a significant effect. It is also found that improved resilience,
obtained by investing in agility and robustness, enhances a supply chain’s customer value.
Practical implications – Some findings contrast the expectations derived from theory. Particularly,
practitioners can learn that integration has a limited role in enhancing resilience.
Originality/value – The study distinguishes between a proactive and reactive dimension of
resilience: robustness and agility. The relational view serves as the theoretical basis to explain the
effects between three types of relational competencies (communication, cooperation, and integration)
and the above-mentioned two dimensions of resilience.
Keywords Relational competencies, Supply chain management, Risk management,
Supply chain resilience, Supply chain agility, Supply chain robustness
Paper type Research paper