The role of managers in the supply chain to promote the emergence of team resilience

Abstract

"This research explored the lived experiences of supply chain team managers when faced with adversity. Its aim was to understand how managers could improve team resilience by enhancing the three dimensions of social-ecological resilience: alertness, preparedness and agility. A theoretical framework was derived to help managers in their efforts to develop their team’s ability to respond to disruption. A qualitative research strategy was adopted. 19 managers in supply chain direct and support functions were interviewed. Their insights were analysed to inductively identify the concepts that underpin team resilience in the supply chain. Six central themes that extend the understanding of how managers can promote team resilience were identified. Three were considered to be foundational: communication culture, leadership rapport-building and team structural characteristics. These foundational themes support the themes which describe team positioning in the three dimensions of resilience. A learning and growth environment is valuable in the alertness dimension, where teams are encouraged to sense context. Regarding preparation for disruption, team members should strengthen social bonds to combine capabilities, and managers should foster team cohesion. In the final dimension, agility, teams need to adapt and grow in unexpected ways to be able to respond to unpredictable risks. Using a systems thinking risk management approach, managers should enhance critical thinking and decision-making, both vital factors that enable teams to develop suitable recovery plans."