A Network Perspective in Supply Chain Risk Management

Classical approaches in the field of supply chain risk management (SCRM) consider supply chains as linear, as the term itself indicates (Hearnshaw and Wilson, 2013). However, modern supply chains are by no means linear—they form complex interconnected networks (e.g., Hearnshaw and Wilson (2013)). This increased complexity is induced by trends such as globalization, increasing product complexity and shorter lead times (Ghadge et al., 2013, Harland et al., 2003). Clearly, new methods for supply chain management are needed, especially those that consider the complexity of today’s supply chains. In this respect, the network structure of supply chains also needs to be considered. For example, studies find that the supply network structure is directly related to resilience, which is the key to effective SCRM (Kim et al., 2015). Research has introduced network theoretical approaches to supply chain management (e.g., Galaskiewicz (2011), Borgatti and Li (2009)). This cumulative dissertation joins the effort by addressing the research field of network theory in the SCRM context. This dissertation contributes to the domain, by first providing a systematic literature review that structures methods for mitigating disruptions in complex supply chains – or to be precise supply networks – and outlines an agenda for further research in the field. Next, in the second paper, it contributes a qualitative model that helps to understand the mechanisms of risks in complex supply chain networks. The same model is the basis for two quantitative studies conveyed in the third and fourth papers that investigate how centrality measures can be used to identify critical suppliers. Finally, the fifth paper conveys a study which directly contributes to practice by developing a supply chain mapping framework as a basis for systematic, effective, and efficient SCRM in complex supply chain networks.