Covid-19 and Global Supply Chain Adaptation: An Analysis of the European Alcoholic Beverage Industry
Authors
Boamah, Samuel ; Mensah, Mary Eleanor ; Gyimadoh, Isaac Kofi
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-02
Pages
101
Abstract
COVID-19-pandemien satte forsyningskæder under stort pres og rejste tvivl om, hvor godt traditionelle styringsstrategier kan håndtere pludselige, udefrakommende chok. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan multinationale virksomheder inden for alkoholiske drikke tilpassede sig under pandemien. Studiet anvender perspektivet om dynamiske kapabiliteter, som fokuserer på en virksomheds evne til at opfange forandringer i omgivelserne (Sensing), gribe muligheder (Seizing) og omstille eller rekonfigurere sine aktiviteter (Transformation). En tematisk gennemgang af forskningslitteraturen identificerede disse tre elementer som centrale byggesten. Gennemgangen pegede også på tre supplerende evner, der driver de dynamiske kapabiliteter: Smidighed (Agility – at reagere hurtigt), Levedygtighed (Viability – at opretholde ydeevne over tid) og Gennemsigtighed (Visibility – at have klar information på tværs af forsyningskæden). For at se, hvordan dette fungerer i praksis, kombinerede forskningen netnografi (analyse af online materialer), kvalitative metoder og flersagsanalyse af otte multinationale virksomheder i alkoholbranchen. Målet var at forstå, hvordan deres forsyningskæder justerede sig til COVID-19. Resultaterne viser, at de fleste virksomheders strategier stemmer overens med studiets konceptuelle ramme: fokus på sensing, seizing og transformation, understøttet af øget smidighed, sikring af levedygtighed og bedre gennemsigtighed.
The COVID-19 pandemic put severe stress on supply chains and raised doubts about how well traditional management strategies handle sudden, external shocks. This thesis examines how multinational enterprises in the alcoholic beverage industry adapted during the pandemic. The study uses the Dynamic Capabilities perspective, which looks at a company's ability to sense changes in its environment, seize opportunities, and transform or reconfigure its operations. A thematic review of the academic literature identified these three elements—Sensing, Seizing, and Transformation—as core building blocks. The review also pointed to three supporting abilities that help these capabilities work in practice: Agility (responding quickly), Viability (maintaining performance over time), and Visibility (clear information across the supply chain). To see how this plays out in real companies, the research combined netnography (analysis of online materials), qualitative methods, and multiple-case analysis of eight multinational firms in the alcoholic beverage sector. The aim was to understand how their supply chains adjusted to COVID-19. The findings show that the strategies used by most of these companies align with the study's conceptual framework: they emphasized sensing, seizing, and transformation, supported by efforts to increase agility, ensure viability, and improve visibility.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Documents