Developing supply chain resilience: a supply network perspective

Purpose This study aims to empirically investigate the impacts of a supplier’s position within the extended supply network on supply chain resilience and the moderating effects of the speed of the supplier’s operational processes in e-commerce supply chains. Design/methodology/approach Monthly operational data, including data from 441 suppliers, were collected from a Chinese e-commerce platform, with their extended supply networks constructed using binary relationship data obtained from TianYanCha. Fixed effects models were used to analyze the data. Findings The results indicate that suppliers’ structural holes in the extended supply network improve supply chain resilience, whereas network centrality and spatial complexity are negatively associated with it. Furthermore, the speed of suppliers’ operational processes not only enhances supply chain resilience but also mitigates the negative impact of network centrality and weakens the positive impact of structural holes while strengthening the negative impact of spatial complexity. Practical implications E-commerce platforms can increase supply chain resilience by strategically leveraging suppliers’ network positions and operational capabilities. Platforms should leverage structural holes for diverse resources, mitigate risks from centralized suppliers through diversification and invest in technologies for visibility. Balancing the speed of processes with visibility and coordination helps mitigate disruptions. Originality/value These findings provide empirical evidence on the joint effects of a supplier’s position and its operational capabilities on supply chain resilience, enhancing the current understanding of the antecedents of supply chain resilience from a supply network perspective. It offers insights into how platforms leverage suppliers’ positions in extended supply networks and operational capabilities to bolster supply chain resilience during disruptions.