Capital relationnel et résilience des chaînes d'approvisionnement en contexte de turbulences géopolitiques : vers un cadre conceptuel intégrateur

Abstract

This article examines the role of relational capital in supply chain resilience in the face of geopolitical crises. Despite growing interest in supply chain resilience, the literature still pays limited attention to the relational mechanisms underlying firms' adaptive capacity in turbulent contexts.

Drawing on the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, and Social Capital Theory, this research proposes an integrative conceptual framework articulating relational capital, geopolitical crises, and supply chain resilience. It also develops a taxonomy of relational capital distinguishing three forms latent, active, and transformative whose activation varies according to the intensity of disruptions.

The article proposes a three-phase process model (activation, mobilization, transformation) along with six theoretical propositions paving the way for future empirical research. On the theoretical level, it repositions supply chain resilience as a relational and dynamic property. On the managerial level, it highlights the strategic importance of investing in inter-organizational relationships as a lever for resilience in the face of geopolitical crises.