Dou, Y; Zhong, L and Luo, L (2025) Supply chain resilience of prefabricated construction: Perspectives of stakeholder capabilities and vulnerabilities. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(4): 04025013, ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
The supply chain of prefabricated construction (PC) has faced various risks and disruptions, hindering its advancement in many countries worldwide in recent years. Improving the supply chain resilience (SCR) of PC has become a consensus for breaking this deadlock. Existing studies predominantly investigate SCR from a supply chain vulnerability (SCV) or capability dimension, ignoring the complex interactions involved. This study adopted the two-mode social network analysis (SNA) to explore the embedded interactions between supply chain stakeholder capabilities (SCSCs) and SCVs on SCR enhancement. Interactions between SCSCs and between SCVs were also analyzed using one-mode SNA. Nine SCSCs and 30 SCVs were first identified through literature reviews and expert interviews. Network data were then obtained by a questionnaire survey in China. An SCSCs-SCVs network was subsequently developed and further projected into two one-mode networks. A series of network indicators were finally calculated to reveal the underlying interactions. A strategy framework was finally proposed to improve the SCR of PC. Findings indicate that emergency response and general contractor control are the most critical SCSCs for enhancing SCR. Mitigating an SCV requires the collaboration of about four SCSCs. The cumulative contribution of the top four SCSCs to the SCV mitigation ranges from 48.6% to 94.5%. Seven critical SCVs are identified, such as improper and change design and poor planning and scheduling of on-site, which play significant roles in bridging SCVs' interactions. Also, SCSCs demonstrate various roles in their interactions, including the most efficient emergency response. This study innovatively conducts a quantitative analysis of the complex interactions embedded in SCR, providing theoretical support for effectively and efficiently improving the SCR of PC. Practical implications could be drawn from this study to help the government and industry stakeholders improve the supply chain performance of PC projects.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | prefabricated construction; social network analysis; supply chain resilience; supply chain stakeholder capabilities; supply chain vulnerabilities; questionnaire survey |
| Index terms: | interview, scheduling, strategy, emergency response, literature review, general contractor, social network analysis, survey, collaboration, vulnerability, supply chain resilience, questionnaire, mitigation, quantitative analysis, China, supply chain performance, dimension, interaction |
| Subjects: | operations research, practitioner, supply chain resilience, behavioral psychology, environmental hazards, financial risk, Geography, research methods, health monitoring assessment and metrics, data analysis and analytics, supply chain performance, data collection methods, safety engineering, management |
| Topics: | Supply Chain Management, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Organizational Design, Time Control, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Cost Management, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here