Digital Transformation, Organizational Learning, and Supply Chain Resilience: An fsQCA Analysis
TL;DR
These findings extend OIPT by showing that SCR emerges from distinct forms of fit between information processing requirements and organizational capabilities and therefore provide a configurational explanation of resilience formation under uncertainty.
Abstract
Global supply chains face increasingly frequent disruptions, which require organizations to strengthen supply chain resilience (SCR). Drawing on Organizational Information Processing Theory (OIPT), this study examines how digital transformation and organizational learning combine to enhance SCR. Using data from 61 Chinese high-technology firms, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies two pathways to high SCR. The first is an ambidextrous learning-driven pathway. Exploitative and exploratory learning jointly help firms refine existing routines and develop adaptive responses to disruption-induced uncertainty. The second is a digitally driven pathway. Digital strategic planning and digital ecosystem coordination help firms structure disruption-related information and coordinate responses across supply chain partners. The configurations for non-high SCR further show that exploratory learning is important for interpreting unfamiliar signals and generating adaptive responses. These findings extend OIPT by showing that SCR emerges from distinct forms of fit between information processing requirements and organizational capabilities. They therefore provide a configurational explanation of resilience formation under uncertainty.