In the current business environment, manufacturers are required to adopt organizational approaches to manage supply chain risks. However, in terms of the response to the risks that have not been experienced in the past, leaving the decision-making to a few leaders increases the organization’s vulnerability. In such cases, self-initiated behaviors of the members other than the leaders are expected. This paper focuses on econo-political risks such as sanction tariffs resulting from the trade friction between nations. Through a case study of Ricoh’s production transfer from China to Thailand, this paper pays attention to “proactive behaviors,” which are observed among the supply chain members when the risk progresses slowly. This paper proposes that this type of behavior is different from those observed under sudden disruption risks with a significant impact, as discussed in previous case studies related to supply chain risk management of Japanese manufacturers.
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