Balance or not: configuring absorbed and unabsorbed slack resources to achieve supply chain resilience

The frequency of supply chain disruptions highlights the importance of supply chain resilience (SCR). Although previous studies have shown that slack resources can effectively contribute to SCR, the configuration of absorbed and unabsorbed slack resources remains unexplored. This study bridges this gap by examining how the balance and absolute levels of absorbed and unabsorbed slack resources, as well as their imbalanced directions (over-absorbed or over-unabsorbed), influence SCR. Employing polynomial regression and response surface analyses on a sample of 272 firms, our findings suggest that SCR is stronger when absorbed and unabsorbed slack resources are balanced rather than imbalanced. In addition, when balanced, SCR becomes stronger as the absolute levels of absorbed and unabsorbed slack resources increase. Interestingly, SCR is more adversely affected in a high-absorbed and low-unabsorbed state than in the reverse. Furthermore, network heterogeneity enhances the positive impact of this balance on SCR. This study innovatively introduces ambidexterity theory into the field of slack resources, deepening the understanding of the relationship between slack resources and SCR. At the same time, network heterogeneity is incorporated into the analytical framework, emphasizing the impact of external environmental factors on firms’ internal operations. This study provides direction for firms in coping with supply chain disruptions from a resource perspective, emphasizing the balance of internal slack resources and the interaction between internal resources and external environment, which has strong practical implications.