Chikwava, Brian (2024) Enhancing Supply Chain Resilience through Hybrid Strategies: An Empirical Study of Australian Retail Sector's COVID-19 Disruption Recovery. PhD thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions to global supply chains; Australia’s grocery and pharmaceutical retail sectors were no exception. These sectors faced significant challenges, including supply shortages, labour constraints, and logistical bottlenecks, highlighting the urgent need for robust supply chain resilience (SCRE) strategies. While prior research has predominantly focused on proactive strategies to prevent disruption, there remains a critical gap in understanding the during- and post-disruption recovery strategies. This study addresses this gap and aims to explore the resilience-enhancing strategies utilized by the Australian retail sector during the pandemic. Grounded in Resilience Theory (RT) and Resource Dependency Theory (RDT), this research further examines how the available resources (e.g., technologies, human resources, and finance) enabled retail businesses to recover and sustain efficiently. A qualitative methodology was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 32 supply chain managers from Western Australia and Victoria within the grocery and pharmaceutical sectors. The interviews were analysed using NVivo software to identify key themes, revealing that a combination of proactive and reactive strategies led to the development of a comprehensive hybrid SCRE framework. The findings revealed that hybrid strategies, including the adoption of digital technologies, enhanced supply chain visibility, adaptability, and collaboration with government and supply chain ecosystem partners, were crucial for faster recovery. This research contributes to the field by providing actionable insights for supply chain managers and policymakers on how to enhance resilience in response to future disruptions. The SCRE framework developed in this study not only applies to pandemic scenarios but also serves as a strategic guide for navigating other unforeseen disruptions.

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