Supply chain resilience: a multi-level framework

Grounded in middle-range theory (MRT), this study explores supply chain resilience (SCRes) during the 2021 Henan floods through 54 interviews with agri-food industry practitioners. The findings reveal SCRes to be a multi-level framework determined by individuals, organizations, supply chains, and broader environments collectively. The environmental level, comprising political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal, and cultural (PESTELC) factors, functions as the resource layer, providing critical resources. The supply chain level is the direction layer, setting goals for preparation, response, recovery, and adaptation by the organizations and individuals involved. The organizational level is the transmission layer, disseminating resilience objectives both horizontally and vertically. Finally, the individual level is the implementation layer, operationalizing organizational and SCRes strategies. Organizational employees’ personal attributes, such as openness, persistence, and extraversion, should be carefully considered when implementing SCRes strategies. China’s hierarchical culture, chain leader system, and accountability mechanisms ensure coordination across all levels.