Cloud Supply Chain Resilience Model: Development and Validation

Cloud computing is reshaping the information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain and creating a more dynamic ICT environment. However, this transformation is accompanied by a greater risk of disruption and brings new organisational resilience (OR) challenges. Focusing on OR in relation to the cloud supply chain (CSC), this paper adopts a two-stage qualitative research design to investigate how ICT resilience activities can best be coordinated across a CSC. It proposes and empirically validates a conceptual model as a tool for guiding efforts to maintain and improve resilience in CSCs. The model is based on existing supply chain management and supply chain resilience theories and considers specific characteristics of the CSC in order to identify coordination mechanisms that positively impact ICT resilience processes within it. Empirical validation with New Zealand companies established the value of the model in terms of structuring the OR conversation across the CSC.