Participant

Title

Industry

Leadership experience (years)

Region

P1

Supply Chain Manager

Manufacturing

12

U.S.

P2

Logistics Operations Manager

Transportation

10

U.S.

P3

Procurement Manager

Retail

8

U.S.

P4

Supply Chain Director

Healthcare

15

U.S.

P5

Inventory Control Manager

E-commerce

9

U.S.

P6

Operations Manager

Manufacturing

11

U.S.

P7

Distribution Manager

Retail

7

U.S.

P8

Supply Chain Analyst Lead

Technology

6

U.S.

P9

Logistics Manager

Transportation

13

U.S.

P10

Global Supply Chain Manager

Manufacturing

14

U.S.

Leadership Practices

Inspiring team during disruptions

Leaders who are encouraging staff to stay engaged in crisis situations

They were in a good place, so I would always push them to stay focused in the face of problems with the supply chain” (P3)

Transformational motivation

Leadership Practices

Employee empowerment

Giving employees a say in decision-making.

“We have increased the powers of our staff when dealing with delays (P6)

Empowerment-driven leadership

Digital Technology Use

Use of real-time tracking systems

Utilisation of ICTs to track supply chains.

“Digital dashboards enabled us to follow shipments and be quicker to respond (P1).

Digital visibility tools

Digital Technology Use

Automation adoption

Use of automated systems to improve efficiency

“Completing the processes was accelerated and manual mistakes were minimised with automation” (P8)

Process automation integration

Risk Management

Proactive disruption planning

Ensuring preparedness in anticipation of disruptions ahead.

“Before risks even arose, we started planning for risks (P4)

Proactive risk management

Risk Management

Reactive problem-solving

Reacting to disruptions: response as they occur

“When it came to suppliers failing, we had to adapt quickly – we had to adapt, the supply was failing” (P2)

Adaptive response strategies

Workforce Resilience

Maintaining staff morale

The measures taken to retain staff during disruptions. The measures taken to maintain employee motivation during disruptions.

“Maintaining good spirits, one of the biggest challenges I faced was ‘Keeping morale high’ (P5)

Workforce emotional resilience

Workforce Resilience

Training and skill development

Improving staff skills for dealing with disruption.

“New systems have been trained for staff to adapt to more quickly (P9)

Continuous workforce development

Technology & Leadership Link

Leadership supporting digital use

Leaders who promote using digital devices

Leadership was important to drive digital transformation (P7)

Leadership-driven digital adoption

Technology & Leadership Link

Integration challenges

Challenges of integrating leadership and technology

“To get people and technology on board simultaneously was difficult (P10)

Socio-technical integration barriers

Transformational Leadership

Leaders’ actions that inspire, motivate, and empower staff through disruption

Transformational motivation; Empowerment-driven leadership

Motivation and empowerment were identified as key areas by most of the participants (P3, P6, P7) during disruption.

Digital Technology Integration

Advanced digital tools to improve SC visibility and efficiencies

Digital visibility tools; Process automation integration

Real-time tracking and automation benefits were identified as a consistent theme among the participants (P1, P8, P9).

Risk Management Strategies

Plans to handle and mitigate supply chain disruption

Proactive risk management; Adaptive response strategies

Several participants (P2, P4, P10) spoke of both proactive planning and adjustments in response to incidents (reactive).

Workforce Resilience

The adaptability, motivation, and effectiveness of employees when disrupted.

Workforce emotional resilience; Continuous workforce development

Participants (P5, P9) mentioned the very important moral support and constant training.

Leadership–Technology Alignment

The embedding of leadership qualities into digital transformation work

Leadership-driven digital adoption; Socio-technical integration barriers

Both leadership challenges (P7) and support (P10) were noted with regard to aligning people with technology.

1. Transformational Leadership Motivates Workforce

“I constantly encouraged my team to stay focused despite supply chain breakdowns.” (P3)

Leaders inspire and motivate employees to maintain performance during disruptions.

“We gave our staff more authority to make quick decisions during delays.” (P6)

Empowerment and delegation enhance engagement and accountability.

“Leadership communication helped reduce anxiety and keep the team aligned.” (P1)

Clear and supportive communication fosters motivation during crises.

“Encouraging innovation in problem-solving made staff feel valued and confident.” (P7)

Transformational leadership fosters creativity and employee confidence.

2. Digital Technologies Enhance Operational Efficiency

“Digital dashboards helped us track shipments and respond faster.” (P1)

Real-time digital tools improve supply chain visibility and responsiveness.

“Automation reduced manual errors and sped up our processes.” (P8)

Digital automation increases efficiency and reduces human error.

“Technology enabled us to monitor supplier performance closely and anticipate delays.” (P9)

Digital monitoring supports proactive supply chain management.

“Integrating new systems was challenging but ultimately improved workflow.” (P10)

Adoption of digital tools requires leadership support and training.

3. Workforce Resilience Supports Organizational Continuity

“Keeping morale high was one of my biggest challenges.” (P5)

Maintaining employee emotional resilience ensures continuity during disruptions.

“We trained staff on new systems to adapt faster.” (P9)

Continuous learning and skill development strengthen workforce capability.

“Employees who felt supported handled disruptions more effectively.” (P2)

A supportive environment enhances adaptability and performance.

“Recognizing achievements during crises motivated the team to stay engaged.” (P6)

Recognition and positive reinforcement contribute to resilience.

4. Leadership–Technology Integration is Critical

“Leadership played a key role in pushing digital transformation.” (P7)

Leaders drive adoption and effective use of digital tools.

“It was challenging to align people and technology at the same time.” (P10)

Integration of leadership practices with technology requires careful planning.

“When leaders endorsed digital tools, employees were more willing to use them.” (P4)

Leadership support directly impacts technology acceptance.

“Bridging human skills and technology created smoother operations during disruptions.” (P8)

Synergy between leadership and technology improves operational resilience.

Conceptual Pattern

Core Codes

Pattern Evidence

TPB Domain

Inspiring and motivating employees

Transformational motivation

“My team was continually given the encouragement to remain focused, even when there were issues with the supply chain. (P3)”

Attitude toward behavior

Empowering staff decision-making

Empowerment-driven leadership

“During the delay, we delegated more decision-making authority to our staff” (P6).

Perceived behavioral control

Clear communication during crises

Leadership communication

“Anxiety was decreased, and the team was aligned through communication within the team (P1).”

Subjective norms

Encouraging innovation and creativity

Fostering problem-solving skills

Staff said they felt encouraged, confident, and valued in their work when encouraged to be innovative in problem-solving.

Attitude toward behavior

Recognizing and reinforcing performance

Positive reinforcement and recognition

“During crises, the team will be encouraged to remain involved when they are made to feel they can achieve something.” (P6)

Attitude toward behavior

Conceptual Pattern

Core Codes

Pattern Evidence

TPB Domain

Real-time visibility and monitoring

Digital visibility tools

“Digital dashboards enabled us to monitor our shipments and respond more quickly.” (P1)

Perceived behavioral control

Automation to reduce errors and delays

Process automation integration

“We were able to cut out the manual errors and accelerate our processes through ‘automation’. (P8)

Perceived behavioral control

Predictive analytics for proactive management

Supplier performance monitoring

“Technology enabled us to monitor supplier performance closely and anticipate delays.” (P9)

Attitude toward behavior

Leadership-supported adoption of digital tools

Leadership-driven digital adoption

“Leadership was crucial to drive digital transformation.” (P7)

Subjective norms

Integration challenges and adaptation

Socio-technical integration barriers

“New systems were installed, but workflow was not as smooth at first, but has since improved.” (P10)

Perceived behavioral control

Conceptual Pattern

Core Codes

Pattern Evidence

TPB Domain

Maintaining morale during disruptions

Workforce emotional resilience

“One of the biggest challenges was to maintain a high level of morale.” (P5)

Attitude toward behavior

Continuous training and skill development

Continuous workforce development

Staff were trained on new systems to get up to speed more quickly. (P9)

Perceived behavioral control

Providing support and guidance

Supportive leadership practices

“Felt supported employees dealt with disruptions better.” (P2)

Subjective norms

Recognition and reinforcement

Positive reinforcement

( P6) Achievement recognition was crucial to the team’s engagement in times of crisis.

Attitude toward behavior

Conceptual Pattern

Core Codes

Pattern Evidence

TPB Domain

Leadership drives digital adoption

Leadership-driven digital adoption

Leadership was crucial to drive digital transformation.” (P7)

Subjective norms

Aligning people with technology

Socio-technical integration barriers

“Aligning people and technology at the same time was a challenge”. (P10)

Perceived behavioral control

Leadership influence on acceptance

Leadership support influences tech use

“A pro-proof statement by the leaders supported the use of digital tools, which was reflected in the willingness of employees to use them. (P4)”

Subjective norms

Creating synergy between human skills and technology

Human–technology operational synergy

“Operations were disrupted, and technology and human skills interconnected, creating smoother operations. (P8)

Attitude toward behavior