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ABSTRACT:

The present research examines the impact of global supply chain disruptions on the profitability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in chosen Asian nations. The study aims to contribute to a crucial knowledge gap in the literature by examining how SMEs, particularly in emerging economies, manage financial hardship due to freight costs, supply shortages, and logistics risk. A quantitative approach was adopted and a survey research method was applied to collect primary data from 385 respondents of SME owners, logistics practitioners, and supply chain management students. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was utilized and analysis of the data involved descriptive statistics, Cronbach's Alpha, exploratory factor analysis, linear regression and moderator analysis using SPSS. The study discovers freight costs and supply shortages sharply negatively impact SMEs’ profitability. In addition, the findings reveal SMEs with access to digital logistic tools have greater levels of supply chain shock resilience on SMEs’ profitability. The research contributes to the scholarly literature on SME profitability in situations of international supply chain disruption in Asian economies. The research identifies insights of practical value to policymakers and entrepreneur intent on constructing SME resilience in today's more complex global trading world.

KEYWORDS:

Global supply chain disruptions; SME profitability; Freight cost; Supply shortages; Logistics volatility.
JEL: M21, O53, F14, F10, L25

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