The role of communication quality, relational commitment, and reciprocity in building supply chain resilience: A social exchange theory perspective

Although supply chain risk management is a process that can be actualized through collaboration and communication in supply chains, little is known about how social factors can lead to supply chain resilience (SCR). The present study evaluates the relationship between supply chain members as social relationships and explores their role in SCR. Following the social exchange theory perspective, communication quality, reciprocity, and relational commitment are examined as the potential antecedents of SCR. The mediating role of communication quality in linking reciprocity and relational commitment to SCR is also investigated. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to test the research hypotheses and analyze the data obtained from prominent executives of manufacturing firms. Our findings indicate that communication quality is an imperative factor in explaining SCR. We also found that communication quality mediates the relationship between relational commitment and SCR and between reciprocity and SCR. In line with previous literature, SCR is positively related to supply chain risk management performance, empirically supporting the proposed value of SCR for firm risk management processes. This paper advances a new front in SCM research by adopting the social exchange theory perspective and empirically examining the role of communication quality, relational commitment, and reciprocity.