Uncovering the Hidden Factors of Resilience: Supply Chain Ecocentricity, Exploitation, and Exploration

This article sheds light on often overlooked organizational antecedents that build supply chain resilience by drawing on knowledge management theory and the resource-based view because of their focus on exploitation and exploration as capabilities related to organizational learning. It was examined whether the relationships between supply chain ecocentricity and supply chain exploitation and exploration practices enable supply chain resilience. It was also determined whether environmental uncertainty would affect the relationship between these enablers and resilience. Manufacturing companies operating in France were surveyed and variance-based structural equation modeling was used to analyze primary data from 405 completed questionnaires. Ecocentricity, driven mainly by secondary stakeholders, was found to influence supply chain resilience as well as the exploitation and exploration of resources and capabilities, confirming that they are enablers of supply chain resilience. Firms should be aware that secondary stakeholders cannot be neglected in the supply chain network, because they contribute to knowledge management and a better understanding of market contingencies and in turn improve supply chain resilience. The original contributions of this article are to demonstrate the relevance of the ecocentricity perspective and its role in helping achieve resilience in supply chains.