Supply Chain Resilience and Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies operate within supply environments marked by demand uncertainty, supplier disruptions, infrastructure constraints and intense competition. These conditions make the development of supply chain resilience capabilities increasingly important for sustained business performance. This study examined the effects of supply chain agility, supply chain flexibility and supply chain collaboration on the performance of SMEs in South-East Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative survey design and drew on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from SMEs operating across the region. A sample of 398 SMEs was determined, while 325 valid responses were returned and used for analysis. Structural equation modelling was employed to assess the measurement and structural models. The findings indicate that supply chain agility has a significant positive effect on SME performance (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Supply chain flexibility also exerts a significant positive effect on performance (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), while supply chain collaboration has a significant positive effect (β = 0.22, p = 0.001). The results suggest that SMEs that respond quickly to environmental changes, reconfigure operations when conditions change, and maintain purposeful relationships with supply chain partners are more likely to achieve stronger performance outcomes. The study contributes to supply chain resilience scholarship by isolating three closely related but conceptually distinct capabilities within the SME context of South-East Nigeria. It recommends that SME managers move beyond reactive supply chain practices and deliberately build agility, flexibility and collaborative routines as complementary capabilities.