Supply Chain Challenges and Recovery Strategies in Small and Medium Garment Enterprises: Post-Conflict Perspective

Abstract

Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) are very significant in stimulating economic growth and job creation, although they are highly vulnerable to crisis, triggering supply chain collapse and the possibility of their survival being undermined. For Tigray's post-war garment SMEs, input scarcity, capital insufficiencies, and supply disruptions have been massive setbacks that have undermined renewal and constrained long-term viability. Although a lot of supply chain recovery literature has covered developed or emerging economies on mainstream media, there is not much empirical evidence concerning SMEs in fragile post-crisis settings. This study aims to determine and categorize key supply chain challenges and successful recovery strategies to be adopted by Mekelle-based garment SMEs. The Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) was utilized to achieve systematically and assess the views of experts. Seventeen experts such as SME owners/managers, government officials, and scholars participated in this study. Eight main challenges and eight successful recovery strategies were assessed through literature reviews and expert interviews. The consensus findings showed that financial troubles, supply chain risk, and input shortages are the most decisive bottlenecks, and suppliers' diversification, governmental and non-governmental relief steps, and sound risk management and contingency planning are the most decisive recovery strategies. The sensitivity analysis findings show that the findings remained robust even under conditions that were slightly different. The study contributes theory and practice through applying FDM in a post-crisis SME setting and providing practical insight towards policy formulation and management plans. The conclusions point out the imperative necessity today to provide financing support, diversified inputs sources, and institutional support to re-initiate business and enhance garment SMEs in Mekelle.