The impact of digital technologies and capabilities on supply chain resilience through digital agility: An empirical investigation of manufacturing enterprises

Abstract Despite the abundant literature on the influence of digitalisation on supply chain operations due to recent disruptions, studies investigating the mechanisms of digital transformation's role in improving supply chain resilience (SCR) are still scarce. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), this paper investigates the effects of two components of digital transformation– digital technologies (DT) and digital capabilities (DC)– on SCR through the mediating role of digital agility. An empirical investigation was conducted through a survey of 261 respondents from small and medium‐sized manufacturing enterprises. The results of a hypotheses test using structural equation modelling indicate a positive impact of both components on SCR. Furthermore, digital agility plays an important role in the aforementioned relationships through mediation. This study demonstrates the ability of DCT to be used as an appropriate theoretical framework to underline how firms need to mobilise their digitalisation initiatives through DT and DC to achieve, maintain and improve digital agility and SCR. In this way, our results contribute to the knowledge that to cultivate a resilient response for the long term, organisations should rethink their approach to their resources and pay attention to achieving critical capabilities like digital agility.