The COVID-19 outbreak is a black swan event that has uncovered the delicateness of global supply chains and business architecture. Underpinned by the agency theory and institutional theory, a proposition for business continuity in the highly regulated pharma industry is presented in this paper. A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out on a sample of 102 pharma supply chain executives in Malaysia. The primary data were gathered by administering a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The result reveals that supply chain orientation directly influences supply chain resilience. Also, introducing collaborative regulation as a mediator in this relationship shows partial mediation. The notion of collaborative regulation as a behavioral governance mechanism is relatively new, thus, presenting interesting opportunities for further exploration of the subject matter.

During the innovation era and in the highly competitive environment, big data capabilities (BDCs) play a pivotal role in shaping competitive dynamics; the influence of these technologies on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the retail sector is critically significant. This study is specifically focused on the retail industry, with a particular emphasis on how BDCs impact the project success, business continuity, and sustainability of SMEs within this industry. Our theoretical model was tested using a survey of 300 operations managers working in SMEs in the retail sector in the Middle East. PLS-SEM was conducted to analyze our collected data. Our results reveal that BDCs enhance project success and promote sustainability practices. The findings also reveal that BDCs have no impact on business continuity. By shedding light on the nuanced impact of BDCs on SMEs in the retail sector, this study contributes valuable insights to the existing literature, offering a deeper understanding of how these technological capabilities can drive success and sustainability in a highly competitive market environment.