Optimizing Supply Chain Resilience and Agility in Ghanaian Manufacturing Industries : A Framework for Integrating Local Logistics Providers.

Abstract

Pandemics, technological advancements, and geopolitical tensions have caused great disruption in global supply chains and pose growing challenges to manufacturing firms in developing countries. In Ghana, the lack of infrastructure or infrastructure-related activities means firms are unable to survive disruptions and react effectively to changes in the market. Although supply chain resilience and agility have been identified as major strategic goals, there is little information on how these factors interact in the context of manufacturing in Ghana, and even less on the role local logistics providers play in these relationships. This research sought to examine the role of local logistics providers in the supply chain resilience and agility of Ghanaian manufacturing.

The frameworks of these two theories are used together in this paper. Dynamic Capabilities Theory explains how firms gain competitive advantage by detecting disruptions, seizing opportunities, and shifting resources. Resilience, on the one hand, can absorb shocks, and agility, on the other, can respond to shocks. Contingency Theory, on the other hand, argues that resilience has impact on agility based on the firm's operations. In the Ghanaian context, logistics integration — defined as the coordination, information sharing, and collaborative alignment between manufacturers and logistics service providers — is theorized as the key contextual moderator that strengthens or constrains the resilience–agility relationship.

In this study, a quantitative design is adopted with structured questionnaires distributed to 81 purposively sampled supply chain and logistics professionals across four firms in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana, and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings from the data collected reveal a significant positive relationship between supply chain resilience and agility, with logistics integration meaningfully moderating that relationship. It highlights that firms with solid logistics partnerships demonstrate stronger coordination and greater operational flexibility. The study recommended that Ghanaian manufacturing firms integrate real- time information sharing, joint decision-making, and structured collaboration into their supply chain governance framework.