Supply chain risk and SME business continuity strategies in the food industry during COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to (1) identify supply chain risks faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in food businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) investigate the business continuity management (BCM) strategies employed by organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted, involving eight SMEs in the Malaysian food industry. Their responses were analysed using a thematic analysis.

The thematic analysis indicated that supply risks, demand risks, operational risks, logistics risks and financial risks were amongst the challenges that the respondents faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provided evidence which showed the importance of flexibility, redundancy and collaboration to avoid or reduce the impact of such risks.

This paper fills the void in the literature by exploring the BCM practices amongst SMEs in the food businesses of a developing country, during the COVID-19 disruptions. Previous studies in the area had mainly focused on large organisations.