Analyzing the Inter-relationships of Business Recovery Challenges in the Manufacturing Industry: Implications for Post-pandemic Supply Chain Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a rapid change in the global business environment, leading to increased risks of supply and demand disruptions. As society and the industry continue to acclimate to the new normal, the contributions of the manufacturing industry are critical in the recovery process. However, the existing literature lacks a framework to analyze the manufacturing sector’s challenges during the recovery to enhance supply chain resilience (SCR). To address this gap, this study develops a framework for business recovery, especially in the manufacturing sector. A broad literature examination and expert survey were conducted to identify the critical potential business recovery challenges. Further, the interplay of business recovery challenges was analyzed using mixed methodologies such as total interpretive structure model and the cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) to foster a framework that can assist the manufacturing industry in improving SCR. The study found that challenges like ‘lack of flexible policies for handling disruptions’ and ‘lack of management support toward building resilience’ have the highest driving power impeding business recovery. Other challenges, such as ‘lack of reconfiguring production lines,’ ‘lack of product competencies to meet disturbances,’ and ‘less adoption of robust technologies’ are also identified as major challenges. The implications of the study offer valuable insights into global manufacturing industries. It also has significant propositions for the Pacific region. The Pacific region faces unique challenges, including geographic isolation, resource dependency, diverse economies, climate vulnerabilities, and complex trade relationships. The suggested framework’s adaptability and applicability to these regional characteristics enable businesses and policymakers in the Pacific to better understand and address the specific dynamics of post-pandemic recovery, ultimately contributing to enhanced SCR tailored to the region’s needs. The study enriches the existing SCR literature by analyzing inter-relationships between business recovery challenges in the manufacturing industry’s post-pandemic context.