Abstract:
This study examined the relationship between physical distribution practices and supply
performance in beverage manufacturing firms in Harare, Zimbabwe. This study also
explored the moderating role of organizational resilience in this relationship. This study
used a quantitative approach, employing a structured questionnaire administered to
113 employees in the beverage manufacturing industry. The data were analyzed via
multiple and hierarchical regression techniques to test both direct and moderating
associations. The findings indicate that route optimization, order fulfillment lead time,
packaging, and return management are positively associated with supply chain
performance. In addition, organizational resilience significantly moderated the
relationships among route optimization, return management, packaging, and order
fulfillment lead time. The originality of this study lies in its empirical demonstration of
organisational resilience as a factor that moderates the association within the physical
distribution–performance nexus, an area that remains underexplored in the Global
South, particularly in Zimbabwe. Integrating organizational resilience into this
relationship provides a novel theoretical lens for understanding how resilience is
associated with supply chain performance under disruption-prone conditions. This
study recommends beverage manufacturing firms to institutionalize resilience-building
through scenario planning tools, comprehensive risk assessments, and proactive risk
response frameworks to improve their preparedness for volatile environments.
