PurposeThe study investigates how supply base structural complexity influences both supply chain agility and resilience. It employs Normal Accident Theory and Portfolio Theory to disentangle the effects of three structural facets of complexity – numerousness; technical and functional diversity; geographical distribution of suppliers – on the two capabilities simultaneously.Design/methodology/approachThe study is grounded in the Italian footwear industry. 31 manufacturing firms with their global supply base have provided a cross-sectional time series database over a 10-year period (310 observations).FindingsThe results show that supply base numerousness has nonlinear effects on both supply chain agility and resilience. The directions of these effects are opposites. They also show that supply base diversity has an inverted U-shaped effect on supply chain agility while it is insignificant for resilience. Finally, the results show that suppliers' geographical dispersion is detrimental to both capabilities.Originality/valueThis is the first study that considers the multifaceted effects of supply base complexity on both supply chain agility and resilience. In doing so, it also sheds light on some of the most common trade-offs that firms address when they seek a balance between different strategies, such as increasing agility without damaging supply base resilience and vice versa. Considering the resource constraints firms normally face, by disentangling the dual effects of each complexity facet, this study helps decision-makers to develop scalability and leverage the supply base characteristics in order to survive and prosper in uncertain markets.

中文翻译：

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解开供应基础复杂性对供应链敏捷性和弹性的多方面影响

目的该研究调查了供应基础结构复杂性如何影响供应链的敏捷性和弹性。它采用正常事故理论和投资组合理论来解开复杂性的三个结构方面的影响——数量；技术和功能多样性；供应商的地理分布——同时在这两种能力上。设计/方法/方法这项研究以意大利鞋业为基础。拥有全球供应基地的 31 家制造公司提供了 10 年期间的横截面时间序列数据库（310 次观察）。结果表明，供应基地的数量对供应链的敏捷性和弹性都有非线性影响。这些影响的方向是相反的。他们还表明，供应基础多样性对供应链敏捷性具有倒 U 形影响，而对弹性的影响却微不足道。最后，结果表明供应商的地理分散对这两种能力都是有害的。原创性/价值这是第一项考虑供应基础复杂性对供应链敏捷性和弹性的多方面影响的研究。在这样做的过程中，它还揭示了公司在寻求不同策略之间的平衡时所解决的一些最常见的权衡，例如在不损害供应基础弹性的情况下提高敏捷性，反之亦然。考虑到公司通常面临的资源限制，通过解开每个复杂性方面的双重影响，