Exploring risk and sustainability performance in base of the pyramid supply chains

In the contemporary business world, the real competition is not among individual businesses but rather between supply chains. Companies, which are part of efficient supply chains, are considered destined to outperform their competitors being part of inefficient supply chains. Moreover, performance has been a matter of concern for researchers for decades and is the primary aim of any firm’s existence. The definition of performance includes the performance measurement (PM) concept and further supports the notion that PM improves visibility by taking prompt actions against threats, challenges, and barriers that are likely to disrupt the activities of the entire chain. Literature defines these threats, barriers and problems as potential risks widely studied under supply chain risk management (SCRM). Furthermore, the risk literature argues that the risk exacerbates with the environment, where the developing countries, discussed extensively under the base of the pyramid (BoP) literature, is considered relatively risker for the firms to operate efficiently, thereby offering an ideal context to explore SCRM. Therefore, the thesis investigates the intersection between SCPM-SCRM by using a combination of literature and empirical studies addressing overarching research questions of how can supply chain performance measurement help in managing risk? and what role do risk and performance management play in BoP supply chains and how it can be applied in the current situation? This dissertation explains and suggests several PIs analysed in the BoP literature and how these process level performance measures can circumvent the risks of operation in these markets. Similarly, while acknowledging the regional challenges Covid-19 posed on the global supply chains, this dissertation elaborates explicitly on the role of social networks using social network theory and social capital perspective to minimise disruption. Therefore, the dissertation offers clear theoretical contributions. Practical implications include first, the highlighted PIs can be incorporated into the PM system to inform BoP policymakers to understand better how performance objectives can be achieved in BoP contexts. Further, the responses collected against the Covid-19 pandemic show differences among the regions thereby arguing that managers should take regional contingencies into account while managing global supply chains. Given that events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, will become more frequent in the future due to climate change and geopolitical tensions, insights into how to manage SCs under extreme conditions and into regional differences are crucial. Furthermore, the thesis also highlights gaps for future researchers to address, such as the PIs discussed in BoP literature are primarily conventional and need a sustainability perspective.