What the study found
The study found that supply chain resilience in social enterprises can differ from that in commercial firms. Social enterprises (organizations that pursue a social mission) may face disadvantages during supply chain disruptions because they have fewer financial resources and less management capacity for planning and risk management, but they compensate through network-based and community-based practices.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that social enterprises play a critical role in tackling food insecurity and food poverty, and the study suggests that understanding how they build supply chain resilience matters in that context. They also say the findings support a conceptual framework for social-enterprise-led supply chain resilience.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted an in-depth review of the literature using a narrative approach, which they chose because the study crosses multiple fields. Their focus was on social enterprises with a social mission to address food insecurity and food poverty, and on what supply chain resilience means in that setting.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis suggests that social enterprises may be at a disadvantage when supply chains are disrupted because they lack spare financial resources and management capacity. At the same time, they appear to build resilience through diagonal cross-sector networking, local community embeddedness, social capital, and flexible ways of working.
What to keep in mind
The summary describes a conceptual literature review rather than a study of a specific organization or dataset. The abstract does not describe empirical testing, and it does not state detailed limitations beyond the interdisciplinary nature of the topic.
Key points
- The paper focuses on supply chain resilience in social enterprises with a mission to address food insecurity and food poverty.
- Social enterprises may have fewer financial and management resources to absorb supply chain shocks than commercial firms.
- They may compensate through network connections, cross-sector networking, social capital, and flexible working.
- The authors developed a conceptual framework for social-enterprise-led supply chain resilience.
- The study uses an in-depth narrative literature review rather than empirical field data.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Social enterprises build supply chain resilience differently
- Authors:
- Alexander James Jones, Helen Walker, Yingli Wang, Ken Peattie
- Institutions:
- Cardiff University, Cardiff University, Cardiff University, Cardiff University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- DOI:
- 10.1002/bse.70682
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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