Resilience Capabilities Research Articles

A dual perspective of organizational resilience (OR) and information technology systems resilience (ITSR): an analysis of interdependencies and tensions

Contemporary organizations face a rising incidence of disasters, extreme events and crises (Boin and Lodge 2021). In parallel, the socioeconomic landscape is increasingly complex which intensifies inter-organizational dependencies and the risk of cascading failures (Ansell et al. 2021). To survive and perhaps thrive, organizations must cultivate organizational resilience (OR). However, their capacity to do so is currently curtailed. Although it is widely recognized that the performance of organizational processes, functions and capabilities is closely aligned to the effectiveness of associated information technology systems (ITS) (Schultze and Orlikowski 2004); models of OR have yet to elucidate mechanisms by which ITS contribute to resilience capabilities (Annarelli and Nonino 2016). In this conceptual paper, which is a work in progress, we reflect upon the nature of interdependencies and tensions between ITS resilience (ITSR) and OR. We adopt a deductive, qualitative approach to systematically compare OR & ITSR. Our comparative analysis is informed by OR models described by Duchek (2020), Sheffi and Rice Jr (2005) and Weick and Sutcliffe (2011), while for ITSR, we employ the Reactive Manifesto as interpreted by Bonér et al. (2014) and Debski et al. (2017). Figs 1, 2 illustrate our interpretation of each resilience construct. As may be seen on Fig. 1 we interpret OR as a three-phase process including preemptive, proactive & recovery phases each possessing associated resilience capabilities. The process may occasion three operational outcomes (or levels of resilience maturity). 1st , 2nd and 3rd order resilience denote organizations that when a disruption occurs, merely maintain key operations, rapidly achieve a return to normal operations or that capitalize on a disruption to achieve an improved post-shock trajectory respectively. merely maintain key operations, rapidly achieve a return to normal operations or that capitalize on a disruption to achieve an improved post-shock trajectory respectively. ITSR is interpreted via the notion, reactive scalability which describes an organizational system that is both responsive and scalable (Debski et al. 2017) i.e., which is able to rapidly achieve (responsive) appropriately dimensioned (scalable) adaptations to intra and extra-organizational changes. Our analysis employs a multi-level approach. The preliminary results of the analysis are presented in Table 1. Upon completion of the analysis, we will elaborate theoretical propositions pertaining to the relationship between the OR and ITSR constructs to guide subsequent empirical research to bridge the theoretical divide between these in reality, indissociable resilience constructs. This comprises the main anticipated contribution.

Leveraging data-driven decisions: a framework for building intracompany capability for supply chain optimization and resilience

PurposeCompanies are turning to big data (BD) programs to help mitigate supply chain (SC) disruptions and risks that are increasing in frequency and severity. The purpose of this paper is to explore exactly how companies translate data into meaningful information used to manage SC risk and create economic value; an area not well researched. As companies are turning to big-data programs to help mitigate supply chain (SC) disruptions and risks that are increasing in frequency and severity, having the capability to internally integrate SC information is cited as the most critical risk to manage.Design/methodology/approachInformation processing theory and resource-based view are applied to support capability development used to make value-based BD decisions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with leaders in both the oil and gas industry and logistics SC partners to explore each companies’ BD transformation.FindingsFindings illuminate how companies can build internal capability to more effectively manage SC risk, optimize operating assets and drive employee engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe oil and gas industry were early adopters of gathering BD; more studies addressing how companies translate data to create value and manage SC risk would be beneficial.Practical implicationsGuidance for senior leaders to proactively introduce BD to their company through a practical framework. Further, this study provides insight into where the maximum benefit may reside, as data intersects with other company resources to build an internal capability.Originality/valueThis study presents a framework highlighting best practices for introducing BD plus creating a culture capable of using that data to reduce risk during design, implementation and ongoing operations. The steps for producing the maximum benefit are laid out in this study.

Exploring folk songs to educate for resilience

PurposeCovid-19 pandemic, war, climate emergency and other recent challenges are inflicting tremendous stress to youth. However, death and tragedy are nowadays considered taboo, as there is generally no standardized nor naturalized discussion on the subject, especially with young people. The current multi-crisis scenario is intensifying the need to incorporate an education on tragedy and resilience in our learning systems. In this context, it is necessary to find suitable teaching resources for this educational challenge that are attractive, entertaining and suitable for children and youth. A resource that meets all these requirements are children’s folk songs (CFSs). Apart from the intrinsic educational potential of music, folk songs have a simplicity and musicality that make them an ideal teaching resource. Considering their oral historical transmission, their survival confirms the attraction that this type of composition causes on children. However, to consider CFSs as an adequate resource to carry out an education for death and tragedy, it is necessary to study whether they present a non-negligible proportion of tragic passages and with enough variety of themes. This paper aims to address the study of the presence of explicit tragic content in Spanish CFSs and thus could be considered a cultural resource with transformative educational potential to develop resilience capabilities on the face of tragedy.Design/methodology/approachAn analysis of lyrics of 2,558 Spanish CFSs is presented, using a manual content analysis as well as a computerized content analysis with the aim of identifying the tragic component of these songs and, thereby, assessing their pedagogical potential as a transformative educational resource.FindingsThe results obtained show a considerable presence of death and tragedy (19.78%) and a variety of tragedy dimensions. CFSs have been transmitted orally not only as a ludic resource, but also to prepare children for life (and death). The results show the complementarity of both analyses to avoid subjectivity while considering the underlying meanings of the songs.Originality/valueThis task had previously not been approached in an automated manner in the literature, nor there had been a similar study with a sample of this magnitude. The outcomes obtained show the considerable presence of tragedy in Spanish CFSs and emphasize the interest of this currently undervalued didactic resource.

Does environmental footprint influence the resilience of firms facing environmental penalties?

AbstractThis study aims to understand whether prior environmental footprint helps firms to be more resilient against penalties following environmental violations. While the allocation of resources to diminish the company's environmental footprint might be considered detrimental to its financial recovery, the natural resource‐based view argues that environmental capabilities may foster firm resilience when faced with the shocks of environmental penalties. We collected data from press releases using Factiva between 2006 and 2019 to constitute an original sample of 143 events concerning US‐listed firms subjected to fines for environmental misconduct initiated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Using survival analysis methodology, we empirically find that firms with lower environmental footprints prior to the penalty recover sooner from the financial shock, hence exhibiting higher capabilities of resilience. This finding is robust to different survival analysis models and time windows. Our empirical analysis expands the range of studies supporting environmental performance as a way for organizations to improve resilience in the face of disruptions, in providing clear evidence in the case of environmental fines.

Perceived organisational support and work engagement among health sector workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre, time-lagged, cross-sectional study among clinical hospital staff in Pakistan

ObjectiveWorkplace engagement is associated with several significant positive organisational outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of workplace engagement, particularly for front-line healthcare workers. Drawing on the conservation of...

Deterrence by Resilience: The Case of Ukraine

Applying the theory of deterrence to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, this paper addresses where deterrence failed and identifies applicable lessons. NATO’s success building and reinforce resilience between 2014 and 2022 demonstrates the capability of national resilience to deny an aggressor achieving objectives without escalation. Russia’s use of Strategic Deterrence presents the capability, credibility, and communicated nuclear threat necessary to deter NATO involvement, but Russia’s reliance on other nations within a multi-polar world increasingly diminishes the credibility of their deterrent threat. Finally, the Russo-Ukraine war demonstrates that as a defensive organization, NATO lacks credibility in extended deterrence and must act to safeguard aspiring nations.

The antecedents of family firms’ resilience to crisis in hospitality and tourism

Drawing on Miller and Le Breton-Miller’s (2005 & 2022) conceptualization of family firms’ priorities (continuity, community, connections, and command) and the organizational psychological capital theory (Luthans and Youssef, 2004), we develop a mediation model of how organizational psychological capital and family firm image affect resilience capability and risk taking (which in turn influence resilience). This model is tested on 200 family-owned small and medium sized (SME) hotels in Turkey. Our study demonstrates that intangible forces can be differentially leveraged to build resilience capability. This in turn strengthens resilience in firms confronting the Covid crisis. This paper further highlights that while the development of capabilities and strategic actions is important in generating firm resilience, the assets that are used to achieve this outcome matter the most.

Resilience of front-line facilities during COVID-19: evidence from cross-sectional rapid surveys in eight low- and middle-income countries.

Responsive primary health-care facilities are the foundation of resilient health systems, yet little is known about facility-level processes that contribute to the continuity of essential services during a crisis. This paper describes the aspects of primary health-care facility resilience to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in eight countries. Rapid-cycle phone surveys were conducted with health facility managers in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guatemala, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi and Nigeria between August 2020 and December 2021. Responses were mapped to a validated health facility resilience framework and coded as binary variables for whether a facility demonstrated capacity in eight areas: removing barriers to accessing services, infection control, workforce, surge capacity, financing, critical infrastructure, risk communications, and medical supplies and equipment. These self-reported capacities were summarized nationally and validated with the ministries of health. The analysis of service volume data determined the outcome: maintenance of essential health services. Of primary health-care facilities, 1,453 were surveyed. Facilities maintained between 84% and 97% of the expected outpatient services, except for Bangladesh, where 69% of the expected outpatient consultations were conducted between March 2020 and December 2021. For Burkina Faso, Chad, Guatemala, Guinea and Nigeria, critical infrastructure was the largest constraint in resilience capabilities (47%, 14%, 51%, 9% and 29% of facilities demonstrated capacity,respectively). Medical supplies and equipment were the largest constraints for Liberia and Malawi (15% and 48% of facilities demonstrating capacity, respectively). In Bangladesh, the largest constraint was workforce and staffing, where 44% of facilities experienced moderate to severe challenges with human resources during the pandemic. The largest constraints in facility resilience during COVID-19 were related to health systems building blocks. These challenges likely existed before the pandemic, suggesting the need for strategic investments and reforms in core capacities of comprehensive primary health-care systems to improve resilience to future shocks.

Effects of the degree of supply chain resilience capability in supply chain performance in the UAE energy industry

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of supply chain resilience (SCR) and supply chain capabilities (SCC) on supply chain performance (SCP) through the direct and moderating influence of the degree of SCR (DSCR), as demonstrated in UAE energy industry supply chain management (SCM) processes.Design/methodology/approachUsing the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a questionnaire-survey collected 168 valid responses from UAE-based companies that operate within the energy industry. This study investigates the moderated mediation research model of the SCR, SCC and SCP with DSCR being considered as the variable having the moderation role.FindingsSCR and SCC were found to have a significant positive affect on SCP playing a mediating role in improving performance during or after a SC disruption. However, the objective was to confirm the exitance of the moderator role in DSCR to substantiate its moderated mediating effect in the research model. There was a negative moderating effect of SCR on SCP through SCC.Originality/valueThis is among the pioneer study that suggests and empirically tests the moderated mediating impacts of the SCR degree on the relationships between SCR, capability within a supply chain and its performance. An additional element of originality of this study is its relevance to the UAE energy industry and recent SC disruptions.

Measuring Resilience in Smart Infrastructures: A Comprehensive Review of Metrics and Methods

In today’s world, the safety, economic prosperity, and social well-being of nations depend heavily on highly interconnected critical infrastructures. These infrastructures encompass power networks, natural gas systems, communication networks, water treatment facilities, and transportation systems. Gaining insight into the behavior of these infrastructures, particularly during stress or attacks, has become crucial for both the private and public sectors. Ensuring an adequate level of functionality during emergencies, such as disasters, is also a priority, which can be attained by enhancing infrastructure resilience. Resilience metrics and models play a significant role in understanding the complex interplay between the behaviors and operational characteristics of interdependent critical infrastructures. Additionally, these models and metrics must demonstrate the interdependencies among infrastructures to provide a more comprehensive representation of infrastructure resilience. This paper reviews, categorizes, and presents resilience metrics and models for Smart Interdependent Critical Infrastructures (Smart ICIs). This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of various resilience models and measurements tailored specifically for interdependent critical smart infrastructures. It includes the essential terminology and definitions related to the resilience of Smart ICIs, investigates the universally recognized phases and capabilities of resilience, and examines the various types of failures that could potentially affect Smart ICIs.

Resilience Capability and Capacity in Unexpected Crises: Experiences and Lessons Learned in a Healthcare Organisation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim. The current article aims to gain insight into (a) what characterises organisational resilience during an unexpected crisis such as COVID-19 and (b) how organisations respond to developments in their environments. Background. In times of societal crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the resilience of the healthcare organisation is tested. Method. This research is based on a case study in a university hospital and a county hospital in Sweden using surveys with both structured and open answers. Results. The result shows ambiguity and “polarised” experiences, emphasising flexibility vs. structure, clear hierarchical information vs. spaces for peer learning through dialogue, and focus on acute care vs. determination to continue with core operations. Conclusion. The article concludes that the pandemic resulted in paradoxes, tensions, and new experiences in organisational processes and interactions. These create opportunities for learning not only during crises but also for improving nursing management in both acute and planned care. Three relations are important in building organisational resilience in crises: resilience capability, resilience capacity, and sustainable resilience practices. Implications for Nursing Management. Organisational resilience under extraordinary circumstances, such as a pandemic, as well as enhancing the previous literature on nursing management that offer a more individually oriented perspective.

COVID-19 Experiences and Coping Strategies: The Case of Differently Sized Businesses in South Africa

Businesses have experienced the impacts of COVID-19 differently due to their inherent characteristics and resilience capabilities. Understanding the varied experiences of businesses is an important ingredient for a well-informed policy and for future preparedness. The purpose of this study is to conduct a qualitative analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on different businesses (small, medium, and large) and their coping strategies. The findings reveal different experiences among the businesses; the majority of small businesses were unable to change their business operation model due to logistics and infrastructure constraints, forcing most to temporarily close or pause operations, unlike the larger businesses that had a relatively inbuilt resilience structure. It is also interesting to report that government relief schemes were mainly utilized by larger businesses, arguably due to their formal nature and organized labour, whereas most smaller businesses were out of operation or relying on family support networks for survival. This study further identifies different approaches such as adjusting cost structures, temporary closures, transitioning to an online business (ICT) model, reskilling staff, and retrenchment as some coping strategies. Lessons learned and recommendations are provided at the end of this study.

Vulnerability and Capability Factors for the Indonesian Biodiesel Supply Chain Resilience

Biodiesel is one of the biofuels identified as a complement to conventional fuels. Socially and environmentally, biodiesel has been known to provide benefits for creating new jobs, revitalizing rural areas, and reducing global warming. However, the biodiesel industry often faces various challenges, one of which is uncertainty in decision-making. Uncertainty in the supply chain is considered as one of the greatest challenges to managing and controlling the supply chain. Other types of uncertainty are associated with events that decision-makers cannot predict or control, such as natural disasters, accidents, or artificial disasters. Supply chain complexity and global competition have increased their exposure to disruption. Therefore, reacting appropriately to disruptions is necessary for business continuity. Ultimately, resilience capabilities must be developed to help companies become more resilient than before. This paper identifies and determines the vulnerability and capability factors in the Indonesian biodiesel supply chain. The result shows several vulnerability factors, such as turbulence (price, technological failure, and pandemic), external pressures (policy and regulation), and resource limits (supply, capacity, and land availability), that may affect the resilience of the biodiesel supply chain. Meanwhile, capability factors that can be utilized to reduce these vulnerabilities are flexibility in sourcing, flexibility in order fulfilment, capacity, adaptability, visibility, and collaboration. The practical implications are also described in this paper.

The resiliency of noncommunicable diseases services during the public health crisis: a lesson from Bangkok, Thailand

BackgroundThe healthcare services for non-communicable diseases (NCD) are commonly affected by public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, all healthcare facilities in Bangkok had been overwhelmed by the extreme caseload of COVID-19. Health service resiliency is crucial for the continued service of healthcare facilities post pandemic. This study aims to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption and addressed the resilience of healthcare services at the operational level.MethodsHealthcare facility-based surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted among representatives of the facilities in Bangkok from April 2021 to July 2021. The web-based, self-administered questionnaire, was sent to directors or authorities of all healthcare facilities in Bangkok Thailand (n = 169). Two healthcare facilities from three levels of health services were purposively selected. The directors or medical doctors and nurses who are in charge of the NCD service, and working at the six selected health facilities, were invited to participate in the in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from the in-depth interviews.ResultsThe impact of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption in the second wave (2021) was more severe than in the first wave (2020). The main reasons for NCD service disruptions are insufficient staff, and the closure of some services offered by the healthcare facilities. Surprisingly, both the budget and medical supply for healthcare facilities in Bangkok are less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study revealed resilience capability i.e. absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capabilityamong the healthcare facilities that provide a continuum of care by increasing availability and accessibility to healthcare services for chronic illness as DM. The service disruption in Bangkok may alter from other provinces because of variations in COVID-19 incidence and health services contexts.ConclusionDuring the public health crisis, using affordable and common digital technologies to ensure DM patients can access a continuum of care and providing alternative services such as mobile medical laboratories, medication delivery, and medical refill at drug stores can increase consistent monitoring of glycemic levels and use of prescribed medication.

A typology of supply chain resilience: recognising the multi-capability nature of proactive and reactive contexts

Even though resilience has received ample attention in recent literature, there is still a dearth of research when it comes to theorisation of supply chain resilience capabilities. Against this background, we aim to develop a framework for supply chain resilience capabilities based on proactive and reactive contexts. Apart from using ANOVA, we also perform a nuanced analysis using the response surface methodology. The analysis is done based on a survey dataset collected from 291 manufacturing firms. The results indicate that different combinations of proactive and reactive resilience capabilities can have a differential impact on the performance indicators. Although both proactive and reactive capabilities are essential for ultimate resilience strategies, supply chains might initially benefit more from reactive capabilities than proactive ones. The comprehensive framework proposed in our research addresses a vital gap in current supply chain resilience theorisation and could pave the way for further well-informed research on the evolving research domain. Moreover, this framework could serve as a powerful tool for supply chain managers to design and plan the development/improvement of resilience capabilities in collaboration with supply chain partners. They will be able to easily evaluate the current condition as well as targets for resilience capabilities.

Building a resilient pork supply chain to Salmonella spp.

Salmonella spp. control in pork supply chains has always been a challenging issue and insufficient control can lead to high social and economic consequences. Conventional risk management and risk management approaches and models are not sufficient to address potential food safety shocks caused by Salmonella spp., as they mainly focus on assessing measures to reduce Salmonella spp. risks instead of developing the resilience capability (e.g., flexibility to adapt to sudden changes in the risks). Our study is the first that incorporated the resilience concept to the quantitative modeling of Salmonella spp. spread in the pork supply chain. The objective of this study was to explore the resilience performance of the pork supply chain under different food safety shocks caused by Salmonella spp., and to investigate the effectiveness of interventions on reducing the impact of these shocks on the resilience performance of the chain. Scenario analysis indicated that the effectiveness of the investigated resilience strategies or interventions depended on the risk profile (i.e., default, minimum, maximum level of Salmonella spp. contamination) of the pork supply chain. For pork supply chains with minimum and default risk profiles, more attention should be paid to increasing resilience of pigs towards Salmonella spp. infection. For supply chains with maximum risk profile, the focus should be on improving the performance of the slaughterhouse, such as careful evisceration, logistic slaughtering. To conclude, enhancing resilience performance of the pork supply chain can contribute to a safe pork supply.

IT Leaders’ Experiences of Resilience during the Pandemic : An Appreciative Inquiry

Purpose : The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that leaders need to have the capacity for resilience. When leaders are confronted with disruptions that are now more of a certainty than a possibility, they must have the ability to bounce back, recover, be agile, and be resilient. Objective : To explore the resilience experiences of leaders in the information technology (IT) industry (both mid-level and senior leaders) during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, guided by the theory of self-leadership. Method : Qualitative exploratory study using an appreciative inquiry approach based on 19 mid- and senior-level leaders, both men and women, in the IT Industry in India, chosen purposively. The data in the form of in-depth interviews were analyzed thematically. Findings : Participants’ experience of resilience during the pandemic was expressed as a capability of leaders, which is inherent in the IT industry, given its dynamism. Various facets of resilience and its impact were highlighted. Practical Implications : The IT industry disruption is characteristic of the pandemic. Hence, understanding how leaders handled the crisis will help in training and development, talent acquisition, self-development, and a guiding pathway for budding leadership. Resilient leaders can positively impact self-leadership by inspiring individuals to develop self-leadership skills, fostering a culture within their organizations, and increasing team self-efficacy. Originality : The resilience capabilities of the leaders in the IT industry in India has not been explored qualitatively before, especially during the pandemic.

Pakistan’s Policy of Social Inclusion for Making a Resilient Society to Violent Extremism

The community provides the support/links that connects the actors across the Counter Violent Extremism space. Pakistani government’s CVE initiatives regarding community resilience work are not up to the mark. In the past, policy initiatives were designed with gaps to manage or to stop the evil of violent extremism at the community level. History of Pakistan shows that lack of rule of law, social injustices at community level, inappropriate role of mosques and identity crisis had promoted violent extremism within communities. The objective of this research is to promote social inclusion by enhancing resilience capabilities within Pakistani society and to analyze the national and local policies and evaluate the programmes/practices to enhance community resilience to violent extremism. This research is qualitative in methodology and data has been collected from secondary sources. Finally, paper concludes that non- governmental organizations can play their role. Only need is the cooperation among state and nongovernmental organizations because use of the hard power through the military is not a viable solution. For durable peace and prosperity, the linkages between state policies with local level initiatives would be started in the form of bonding, bridging and linking connections across society.

Enhancing Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Resilience: A Study of Pharmaceutical Companies in Multiple Geographies

Abstract: Background: Pharmaceutical businesses had enormous difficulties in product distribution during COVID-19, and the solution to this perpetual issue is a resilient supply chain. Aim: The study aims to understand the vulnerabilities to which it subjected the pharmaceutical product distribution supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and further develop an adaptive model through which the pharmaceutical product supply chain can enhance its resilience capabilities. Materials and Methods: The conceptual model is developed for the supply chain of pharmaceutical companies based on the literature survey, and then the conceptual model is explored through factor analysis. Researchers have developed a validated model after a statistical analysis using Cronbach’s alpha. Subjective analysis has concluded that the pharmaceutical supply chain's resilience is driven by factors such as "trade cost," which comprises transport cost, business practices, and raw material sourcing cost; "shock propagation," which comprises country-specific shocks, production shocks, and policy changes; and "technological infrastructure bottleneck," which relates to the availability of cold chain storage warehouses and refrigerated transport vehicle facilities. Results: An empirical model pertaining to supply chain resilience may be further studied with different geographies, like Pune, Hyderabad, and Delhi NCR, for the purpose of generalizing the study. Conclusion: The identified major factors were trade cost, shock propagation, and technological infrastructure bottlenecks. The sensitivity of the issue under investigation required a personal touch to the survey, as the COVID-19 pandemic had left these respondents emotionally vulnerable. As COVID-19 is the recent catastrophe that has hit humanity, it has made the pharmaceutical product distribution channel vulnerable during the pandemic. This difficult time of pandemic has really tested the pharmaceutical products’ supply chain capabilities as well. Keywords: Supply Chain Resilience, Trade cost, Shock propagation, Technological infrastructure bottleneck.

Financial Resilience Strategy on Cancer Survivors Household in East Java

The problem of this research is how to make a financial resilience strategy faced by households during the economic crisis. The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategy of household financial resilience during an economic crisis. The design in this study uses a quantitative approach by collecting data through surveys.Respondents in this study were breast cancer survivors in East Java.The findings in this study are that every household needs a financial strategy in dealing with a crisis.An adaptive capacity strategy is needed so that household financial resilience remains flexible.Absorption strategy is a strategy in building financial resilience capability which is always strived to be in a stable position.A transformative capacity strategy is carried out to build household financial resilience when experiencing financial shocks by making drastic changes to financial planning.