Leveraging digital capabilities for supply chain recovery and renewal: the mediating roles of spontaneous and creative improvisation

Purpose Building on the dynamic capability view (DCV) and supply chain (SC) literature on digitalization, improvisation and resilience, we examined how different digital capabilities influence different post-disruption SC resilience outcomes (recovery and renewal) through distinct forms of improvisation in cross-border SCs. Design/methodology/approach Our sample comprises 217 matched Chinese supplier–buyer dyads, with buyers located in 66 countries. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were used to test the measurement model and hypothesized relationships, respectively. Robustness and endogeneity tests were also performed. Findings We find that digital market orientation is positively associated with creative improvisation, while its relationship with spontaneous improvisation is non-significant. In contrast, digital process innovation is positively associated with spontaneous improvisation, while its relationship with creative improvisation is non-significant. Furthermore, spontaneous improvisation is positively associated with SC recovery, while creative improvisation is positively associated with SC renewal. Creative improvisation mediates the relationship between digital market orientation and SC renewal, while spontaneous improvisation mediates the relationship between digital process innovation and SC recovery. Originality/value This study reveals distinct paths through which different digital capabilities contribute to post-disruption SC resilience. By differentiating digital capabilities, improvisational capabilities, and resilience outcomes, the study extends DCV-based SC resilience research by explaining how the adaptive potential embedded in these digital capabilities is translated through distinct improvisational capabilities into post-disruption SC resilience outcomes in cross-border SCs.