Toward a Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chain: Operational Responses to Global Disruptions in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Global supply chains have faced unprecedented disruptions in recent years, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical tensions and climate-induced shocks. These events have exposed structural vulnerabilities in operational models overly optimized for efficiency at the expense of resilience and sustainability. This conceptual paper proposes an integrated framework linking resilience enablers, post-pandemic operational strategies, and sustainability outcomes. Through a synthesis of interdisciplinary literature across operations management, sustainability science, institutional theory, and organizational behavior, we develop typologies of operational responses—including agile, lean-green, circular, and decentralized models—and connect them to broader sustainable development goals. Drawing on system thinking and the triple bottom line framework, we present a conceptual model that outlines causal relationships between resilience drivers, adaptive operational strategies, and long-term sustainable performance. The paper further discusses policy implications for public and private sectors, offering insights for global sustainability governance. We conclude by outlining a research agenda to empirically test and refine the model through multi-method approaches. This study contributes to theory by reconceptualizing sustainable operations in the context of compound global disruptions and offers a normative direction for future scholarship and practice.

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