Resilient agility under the practice-based view

Abstract

Researchers must understand how agile and resilient practices work together as ‘resilient agility’ in impacting performance and seek empirical support. In this research, a conceptual model of ‘resilient agility’ is proposed using three constructs of operational practices—‘agile-only’, ‘resilient-only’, and ‘shared’ practices –and four constructs of performance: ‘cost’, ‘delivery’, ‘flexibility’, and ‘time to recovery’. The practice bundles are then linked to appropriate performance objectives using the literature and the practice-based view. Finally, the conceptual model was tested using data from a survey of Tier-1 suppliers to auto manufacturers in Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used for the measurement model and structural equation modelling (SEM) for the structural model to link agility and resilience to performance. The SEM results showed several significant links in the structural model, suggesting how agility and resilience work together to achieve desired performance objectives. Researchers will find this research helpful in building mid-range theory tying practices associated with resilient agility to operational performance.

Keywords:

• Agility
• resilience
• operational practices
• performance objectives
• structural equation modelling
• auto industry

Notes

1 Available at: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/international-sanctions-iran, Access date, 14 June 2022.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maryam Lotfi

ManMohan S. Sodhi is an operations and supply chain management professor at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) in City, University of London. He received his Ph.D. in management science from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 1994. Subsequently, he taught operations management at the University of Michigan Business School, where the Sloan Foundation funded his research in the trucking industry. His research interests lie in supply chain management, particularly in risk and sustainability. Before joining Bayes, he worked in management consulting for many years with clients in various industries, including consumer electronics, commodity and specialty chemicals, petroleum products distribution, hospitality industry procurement, and airlines. He has published in numerous academic and managerial journals, including Operations Research, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, MSOM, Harvard Business Review, and Sloan Management Review.

ManMohan S. Sodhi

Maryam Lotfi is a lecturer in supply chain management in Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University in the UK. She holds her PhD from Bayes Business School, City University London. Her academic research focus is on ‘risk and resilience’ and ‘sustainability in the supply chains’ where she focuses on social aspects including child slavery, modern slavery and workers’ rights. She works closely with different stakeholders on human rights and modern slavery risk management in the supply chains. Her interest is not just to research the downstream of the supply chains and parent firms in UK and Western countries but also she investigate upstream of the supply chains including lower tier suppliers and workers in different countries of production such as Africa and India.