ORIENTATION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) alcohol sale prohibitions have significantly
impacted the South African liquor industry. This act of government halted the supply chain
flow of both locally produced and imported products during this period. Both internal and
external supply chain integration (SCI) became essential to ensure a rapid response to
disruption recovery strategies.
PURPOSE: he purpose of this study in the South African liquor industry was to explore the impact of and the role that internal SCI antecedents, mechanisms and measurement play during supply chain disruption recovery using information processing theory as a lens.
MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Internal SCI has been shown to improve performance and dependability during non-disrupted periods, but the influence of internal integration during a disruption period has yet to be determined.
RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD: A single case study design was employed. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with executive and senior managers across the case organisation’s supply chain. The collected data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach.
MAIN FINDINGS: Findings show that the antecedents of goal alignment, cross-functional
awareness and a holistic management approach improved both the identification of and
reaction to supply chain disruptions. During a disruption period, the recognised internal
integration mechanisms have a threefold purpose: they collect information, eliminate
information ambiguity and build recovery action plans. Although the most important internal
integration measurement during disruption recovery was identified as on-time in full, all of
the indicated measurements serve as both an output measure and a disruption indicator.
PRACTICAL OR MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The study bridges the gap between the importance of
information flow both during internal integration and disruption recovery and how internal
integration implementation assists with disruption recovery.
MAIN FINDINGS: Findings show that the antecedents of goal alignment, cross-functional awareness and a holistic management approach improved both the identification of and reaction to supply chain disruptions. During a disruption period, the recognised internal integration mechanisms have a threefold purpose: they collect information, eliminate information ambiguity and build recovery action plans. Although the most important internal integration measurement during disruption recovery was identified as on-time in full, all of the indicated measurements serve as both an output measure and a disruption indicator.
CONTRIBUTIONS / VALUE ADDED: he study introduces a framework to explain the interconnectivity between internal integration and disruption recovery.
