Cultivating Risk-Response Capability: The Impact of Partner Compatibility and Supply Chain Collaboration

Supply chains operate in increasingly volatile environments, making it essential to understand the mechanisms through which partner characteristics shape risk-response capability. This study examines how compatibility between supply chain partners promotes collaboration and, in turn, strengthens robustness and resilience. Using survey data from 219 managers in South Korea, the study develops a conceptual model grounded in congruence theory and the dynamic capability view, and tests it through partial least squares path modeling. The results show that compatibility enhances collaboration, which subsequently improves risk-response capability and mediates the effect of compatibility on robustness and resilience. These findings provide empirical support for a capability-building mechanism in which inter-organizational compatibility enables more effective collaborative practices that enhance a supply chain’s ability to withstand and recover from disruptions. The study extends prior research by shifting the discussion of compatibility from interpersonal or person–organization settings to the inter-organizational domain and by demonstrating its critical role in cultivating dynamic capabilities in supply chain risk management.