Global Supply Chain Risk Identification and Response Strategies

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts and extreme climate events have disrupted global supply chains, exposing the fragility of the traditional efficiency-first model. Taking political, economic risks and natural risks as research objects, this paper reviews risk identification theories and deconstructs two cases—Apple's friendshoring and Toyota's response to the Great East Japan Earthquake—to extract behavioral logic and decision-making mechanisms against different risks. The study finds that firms need to shift from passive emergency response to active defense, establishing a four-stage framework "Prediction–Protection–Buffering Recovery", with comprehensive implementation of strategies covering four dimensions: multi-sourcing, dynamic buffer inventory, digital monitoring and optimization of supply chain network structure. This paper points out that current research still lacks sufficient discussion on the interactive mechanism between enterprises' micro-level dynamic capabilities and risk management. Future research can further explore how emerging technologies reshape the practical paradigm of supply chain risk management. This study offers theoretical insights and practical implications for risk management decision-making in multinational corporations amid intensifying uncertainties in global supply chains.