Global Changes and Disruptions in Supply Chains—Preliminary Research to Sustainable Resilience of Supply Chains

Abstract

The contemporary world becomes more and more volatile and unpredictable every year (dynamic development of technology—Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0, dynamic global changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, great changes in consumer behavior, climate crisis, geopolitical disruptions). Individuals, companies, and supply chains face challenges emerging from economic, sociological, and political phenomena. These phenomena disrupt regular performance and limit the efficient functioning of companies and economies. Due to numerous relations and connections in the economy, disruptions in one area affect the others and spread, growing in range and severity. Hence, disruptions should be dealt with to provide continuity of supply chains and to ensure their efficient and effective performance. The study aims to identify crucial characteristics of disruptions to facilitate disruption minimization strategies. The characteristics of disruptions in supply chains are identified based on a literature review, synthesized and validated by the experts. A study is implemented to validate identified characteristics and to confront theoretical findings with the practical experience and observations of the experts. The results of the study are discussed and commented on. The conclusions from the study refer to the nature and characteristics of disruptions in the contemporary economy, equipping managers with useful knowledge when dealing with disruptions, and academics with observations that can stimulate further discussion on stability, flexibility, and resilience of companies and supply chains.