Exploring Business Firms’ Supply Chain Resilience Responses to Disruptions: A Transcendental Phenomenological Approach

Abstract

The ability of an organization to forecast, cope and adapt to disruption without interfering with business continuity is said to be the resilience of the supply chain. The Philippine National Capital Region corporations were severely affected by supply chain disruptions during periods of significant crisis, due to government-enforced lockdowns, checkpoint restrictions, delays at customs, and financial strains. Although such failures are common, there is little information available on the personal experiences of leaders in NCR supply chains who must deal with them. Moustakas' Transcendental Phenomenology was used in this paper to analyze the lived experiences of seven business representatives through semi-structured interviews. The analysis identified six themes: sudden workplace disruption, checkpoints and delays in rules, changing work practices, leaders who offer support, working together constantly, and next-day preparation. The outcomes indicated that the grouping that diversified suppliers, automated their operations, and maintained financial reserves recovered the least amount of time after the disruption. This kind of support for employees, through open communication, financial and emotional support, and job security guarantees, helped maintain the organization's stability even during a major crisis. The research established that the lean efficiency model during this period was inefficient, especially among companies with low inventory levels. This was even less viable if the disruptions were long-term and repetitive. Recommendations to NCR corporations based on these findings were that agility in management and caring leadership were essential for building resilience within the company and developing resilient programs to prepare for future disruptions.