Recovery strategies as dynamic capabilities: Differential mediation effects of proactive and reactive approaches in the supply chain disruption-productivity relationship

Purpose. This study investigates how supply chain disruptions affect firm productivity and examines the differential mediating roles of proactive and reactive recovery strategies in manufacturing firms operating in emerging economies. Methodology. Drawing on the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the research employs a cross-sectional survey design with data collected from 250 pharmaceutical and automotive manufacturing firms in Ghana. Structural Equation Modelling using SmartPLS 4.0 with bootstrapping procedures (5,000 subsamples) was applied to test direct effects and mediation hypotheses. Results. Supply chain disruptions negatively impact firm productivity (β = -0.247, p = 0.001). Proactive recovery strategies significantly mediate this relationship with a large positive indirect effect (β = 0.396, p < 0.001), indicating that anticipatory capabilities substantially buffer disruption-induced productivity losses. Reactive recovery strategies show no significant mediating effect (β = -0.039, p = 0.452), suggesting that post-disruption responses alone are insufficient for maintaining productivity. Theoretical contribution. The study advances supply chain resilience theory by reconceptualizing recovery strategies as dynamic capabilities with differential effectiveness. It provides empirical evidence distinguishing proactive from reactive mechanisms and demonstrates that the indirect effect of proactive recovery substantially exceeds the direct negative effect of disruptions, indicating that well-developed anticipatory capabilities can more than offset disruption impacts. Practical implications. Supply chain managers should prioritize investments in proactive recovery capabilities, including supply base diversification, contingency planning, scenario analysis, and real-time monitoring systems. For transport and logistics firms, proactive strategies such as alternative routing plans, carrier diversification, and fleet redundancy represent critical resilience investments with measurable productivity returns. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production