Resilience in the face of disruption: how supply chain innovation drives operational performance in a resource-constrained environment

Purpose The article examines the relationship between supply chain innovation (SCI) and operational performance (OP), focusing on resilience in response to varying levels of supply chain disruptions within resource-constrained contexts. In the context of the dynamic capability theory, this study has sought to fill a very important gap in the literature on the SCI–OP relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 697 manufacturing and service firms in Ghana using a two-phase survey. Data were analyzed using the Hayes conditional PROCESS analysis. Findings The results showed that supply chain resilience strongly mediates the relationship between innovation and OP. Furthermore, innovative practices perform significantly better in high-disruption contexts than in low-disruption contexts, thereby improving OP. Research limitations/implications Although the study employed a two-phase time-lagged survey design, the observational nature of the data limits strong causal inference, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other economies. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and explore additional contextual variables to deepen understanding of how dynamic capabilities evolve and interact to influence OP in resource-constrained and unstable environments. Originality/value This study advances the dynamic capability perspective by positioning supply chain resilience as a mediating mechanism and contextualizing disruption as a boundary condition that strengthens the SCI–OP relationship. By focusing on Ghana, it provides novel insights from a resource-constrained, emerging economy context, highlighting how innovation and resilience interact to sustain performance amid persistent external shocks.