Resilient supply chains and digital transformation: how agility moderates the performance nexus

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the starring role of digital transformation (DT) in establishing the relationship between supply chain resilience (SCR) and organisational performance (OP) and to check the moderating effect of organisational agility (OA). Design/methodology/approach – Data and information were collected from 435 manufacturing firms in India, covering automotive, electronics and machinery sectors, through structured questionnaires. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Hayes' PROCESS macro, direct mediating and moderating effects were tested to evaluate the hypothesised relationships. Findings – Supply Chain Resilience (SCR) has a positive and significant effect on OP, with DT mediating this relationship (indirect effect = 0.0735, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [0.0107, 0.1633]). Although OA independently enhances OP (ß = 0.8793, p < 0.001), it does not significantly moderate the SCR and OP relationship (index of moderated mediation = −0.0223, 95% CI [−0.0850, 0.0401]). DT acts as a critical pathway for resilience to translate into performance gains, whereas ability contributes more directly rather than interactively. Originality/value – The study contributes to supply chain and OP literature by empirically validating the mediating role of DT in resilience performance associations and illustrating the contextual character of OA. It provides novel insights from Indian manufacturing firms in emerging markets, where digital maturity is evolving.