Supply chain resilience: the case of bibliometric analysis

Today, resilience in supply chains is essential to business processes, enabling companies to adapt, manage change, and decide on recovery strategies in an uncertain, highly interconnected global environment. The aim of this article is to assess the historical development and conceptual evolution of supply chain resilience and to summarize the current state of research. This is achieved by: (1) thematically selecting and summarizing studies, (2) identifying key factors, and (3) conducting bibliometric analysis, describing research gaps, and suggesting further research. Supply chain resilience is examined using an integrated approach, combining a theoretical review with a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature to identify the key factors of resilience. Attention is focused on internal and external capabilities, organizational and systemic flexibility, inter-organizational collaboration, and the adoption of advanced technologies. Using the Web of Science and Scopus databases and specific keywords, peer-reviewed empirical and conceptual articles on the links between resilience and the supply chain are selected. A dynamic systematic literature network analysis methodology is applied, combining systematic review procedures and bibliographic network analysis to reveal key research trends, thematic clusters, and major contributions. The selected articles were used to develop a reference framework encompassing the dimensions of supply chains and resilience. This article develops a reference framework for “supply chain resilience,” defining its application procedures and guidelines. Research findings indicate that despite the abundance of literature, many publications still fail to provide clear practical insights into the implementation of specific “Supply Chain Resilience” initiatives. This is important for both academia and practice: it is highlighted that resilient supply chains are not an added value but a strategic necessity that ensures business continuity and long-term competitive advantage. The results contribute to the development of a more coherent conceptual framework and define key guidelines for further research and managerial decision-making.