Exploring supply chain resilience in the South African telecommunications industry

Abstract

Supply chain resilience (SCRES) is an essential consideration for organisations globally across diverse industries. Paradoxes in the SCRES literature are evident. On the one hand, more resilience is considered better while on the other hand it is acknowledged that resilience results in an additional cost to the focal organisation. The purpose of this study was to explore SCRES, specifically resources committed and predetermined in the process of achieving resilience. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted in the South African telecommunications industry. The main findings of this study identified the drawbacks of SCRES which include financial implications, unwillingly adopting a follower strategy and deleterious effects on customer service. The study further identified measures to prevent the over-utilisation of resources to achieve SCRES such as the learning curve, customer satisfaction and the optimal level of SCRES. Organisational strategy and return on investment (ROI) are the primary considerations for allocating resources to achieve SCRES. This study is one of the first generic qualitative studies to explore SCRES a developing country context. Managers can consider the findings of this study to develop a relevant and customer-driven SCRES strategy that would appeal to organisational shareholders.