As strong as the weakest link. Transport and supply chain security

Magdalena Jażdżewska-Gutta and Przemysław Borkowski

Transport Reviews, 2022, vol. 42, issue 6, 762-783

Abstract: The supply chains form a complicated interlinked system where any disruption, at any possible level, can affect the network itself but also its surrounding, including the society. This feature is confirmed by a well-known and often repeated statement that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This manuscript provides a comprehensive research-based rationale for this statement to shed new light on how the phenomenon could be identified and what are theoretical grounds for its management. The scoping review allowed for exploring the existing literature on the weakest links in supply chains to clarify this complex concept and explain its heterogeneous nature. To structure our research, we have adopted two theoretical perspectives, present in existing studies, that is network interdependency and weakest link public good. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by summarising literature in the field, identifying gaps, and setting the agenda for future research. It concentrates on two areas derived from literature, that is the ways of identification of weakest links and the determination and provision of the optimal level of security. The analysis reveals that there is no consensus even regarding the weakest link definition. The majority of studies are theoretical and general with little research devoted to the practical implications. While equilibriums for optimal resource allocation are well recognised specific measures oriented at the elimination of the weakest link are lacking. As a result, we identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge regarding threat-weakest link occurrence, countermeasures, and policy options offered.

Date: 2022
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/01441647.2022.2056656 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:transr:v:42:y:2022:i:6:p:762-783

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/TTRV20

DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2022.2056656

Access Statistics for this article

Transport Reviews is currently edited by Professor David Banister and Moshe Givoni

More articles in Transport Reviews from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().