How does digitalisation influence supply chain performance? Evidence from a supply chain risk management perspective

This study explores the contribution of supply chain digitalisation (SCD) to supply chain performance (SCP) via the mediating roles of SC responsiveness, resilience, and restoration (SC 3Rs) and examines the moderating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from a risk management perspective. We surveyed 215 Chinese companies from January to April 2021 and examined the hypothesised relationships in a moderated mediation model. We find that SCD positively affects SC 3Rs, which in turn play positive mediating roles in the relationship between SCD and SCP, and that the mediating effects are stronger when pandemic impact is higher. The results of post-hoc analyses indicate that the mediating role of SC resilience is stronger than those of SC responsiveness and SC restoration. These findings enrich our understanding of how the roles of SCD and SC 3Rs vary in a turbulent context, contributing to both academic research and practice on digitalisation for a sustainable SC.