Disruption handling by first-line managers in manufacturing: the situated active engineering of resilience

Purpose This study explores first-line managers (FLMs) action strategies in handling disruptions to maintain operational stability and organizational resilience in manufacturing settings. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative, collaborative multiple-case study design in two Swedish manufacturing companies. Data were collected through 32 semi-structured interviews with FLMs and purposively sampled support functions and during 23 single- and joint company workshops plus company-specific documents. Findings Our analysis reveals three levels of adaptability required of FLMs. At the highest level, we identified three distinct disruption-specific logics: negotiated coordination for personnel-based disruptions, procedural escalation for technical failures and goal-oriented improvisation for complexity-induced failures. These findings show that adaptability is not a generic skill but a targeted response tailored to the specific nature of the disruption. Originality/value This study's primary contribution is the identification and analysis of three distinct disruption-specific logics (personnel-based, technical failure and complexity-induced) that require fundamentally different adaptive strategies from FLMs. By moving beyond a monolithic view of disruptions, we offer a novel, fine-grained conceptualization of how resilience is actively and situationally engineered on the front line.