Catastrophic supply chain disruptions and supply network changes: a study of the 2011 Japanese earthquake

Purpose Catastrophic supply chain disruptions can significantly damage the operational and financial performance of firms. While a growing body literature on network structures has studied what influences networks' vulnerability to capability recover from them, it remains unclear how change after major disruptions. We aim provide an understanding these changes occur. Design/methodology/approach Using natural experiment approach data Factset, this study investigates firms' experiencing catastrophic caused by 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami in Japan. capture post-earthquake using measures degree centrality ego density. Findings The results analysis suggest that compared unaffected firms, affected firms experience their tending toward lower complexity measured in-degree centrality, out-degree Originality/value This contributes social theory complex adaptive providing empirical evidence structural networks A managerial contribution is made reflection why might be occurring alert challenges managing networks.