Digital Infrastructure and Supply Chain Resilience:A Comparative Meta-Analysis of Manufacturing and Service-Sector Organisations

Abstract

This meta-analysis synthesises empirical evidence on the relationship between digital infrastructure and supply chain resilience (SCR), with a comparative focus on manufacturing versus service-sector organisations. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search of Scopus and Web of Science databases (search window: 2019–2024) yielded 15 eligible primary studies (N = 4,186), all published between 2021 and 2024. Random-effects modelling using the meta for package in R 4.3.2 yielded a pooled effect size of r = .47 (95% CI [0.44, 0.49], p < .001), indicating a medium positive relationship approaching the large threshold (r = .50; Cohen, 1988) between digital infrastructure and SCR. Heterogeneity was moderate (I² = 26.4%), and the Q statistic was non-significant (Q(14) = 19.03, p = 0.164), indicating acceptable consistency across studies. Subgroup analyses revealed that manufacturing-sector studies (k = 10, r = 0.48) exhibited a stronger effect than service-sector studies (k = 5, r = 0.44), a directionally consistent but non-significant finding at α = 0.05 (Q_between(1) = 2.37, p = 0.124). Publication bias assessment via Egger’s test (z = −0.35, p = 0.726) and a fail-safe N of 5,709 confirmed that bias is unlikely to explain the findings. Leave-one-out sensitivity analyses demonstrated stability of the pooled estimate across all study permutations (LOO range: r = 0.456 – 0.471). These findings extend dynamic capabilities theory by clarifying how foundational digital infrastructure — encompassing enterprise systems, cloud platforms, IoT connectivity, and analytics capabilities — differentially builds resilience across sector contexts. Practical implications for supply chain managers and digital strategy policymakers are discussed. The study identifies not-for-profit international organisations as a theoretically significant yet empirically underexplored sector warranting further research.