Title: Disentangling core functions of operational resilience: a critical review of extant literature

Authors: Seyoum Eshetu Birkie; Paolo Trucco; Matti Kaulio

Addresses: Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milan, Italy ' Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milan, Italy ' Department of Industrial Economics and Management, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: This study identifies and systematically reviews the literature on resilience in management research in order to characterise operational resilience. We argue that operational resilience provides an integrative view on different resilience perspectives in business (supply chain, business continuity, infrastructure, organisational, strategic). Using the resource-based view and particularly dynamic capabilities perspective as theoretical lenses, operational resilience is discussed in relation to the core business processes of an enterprise. Five core functions (sense, build, reconfigure, re-enhance, sustain) are identified from literature and discussed taking into account desired and undesired consequences of uncertainties. Moreover, operational resilience is operationalised using routines pertaining to the identified core functions. The proposed operational resilience core functions are further scrutinised using two case examples. Future research is suggested to validate the identified core functions and to use them for empirical analysis, including investigation of relationships with operations management paradigms such as lean thinking.

Keywords: operational resilience; operational risk management; uncertainty; supply chain management; SCM; business continuity; dynamic capabilities; literature review; infrastructure; organisational resilience; strategic resilience; resource-based view; RBV; core business processes; supply chain resilience.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSCOR.2014.065461

International Journal of Supply Chain and Operations Resilience, 2014 Vol.1 No.1, pp.76 - 103

Received: 13 Dec 2013
Accepted: 07 May 2014
Published online: 31 Oct 2014 *

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