Exploring the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains: A multi-evidence based approach

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge gaps in the extant literature on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing resilient fashion supply chains (RFSCs), and to develop a contextual framework for effective decision-making to enable practitioners to enhance their supply chain resilience. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a novel Multi-Evidence-Based Approach comprising Denyer and Tranfield’s (2009) systematic literature review with Context, Intervention, Mechanisms and Outcome (CIMO) logic, text mining and network analysis. The approach constitutes a rigorous methodology that cross-validates results and ensures the reliability and validity of findings. Findings: The authors identified key knowledge gaps in the literature and explored the main contribution categories (e.g. conceptual understandings, operational impacts, use of theories and frameworks). Subsequently, we developed a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition to design RFSCs. Finally, an empirical research agenda is proposed with the five research directions to address the gap and take forward the notion of ambidextrous coopetition and RFSCs. Research limitations/implications: The Multi-Evidence-Based Approach is a structured and triangulated systematic literature review approach and thus lacks empirical study. Practical implications: This research proposes a contextual framework of ambidextrous coopetition that can be used by fashion companies to embed resilience into their structures and operations. This research also presents an agenda for the future empirical research. Originality/value: This paper contributes by providing a combinatory synthesis on the role of ambidexterity and coopetition in designing RFSCs. This paper introduces a novel methodological triangulation for improving the quality and validity of SLRs. It identifies significant knowledge gaps and defines directions for future research