The relationship between the span of supply chain structure and the “knock-on effect” in the transmission of disruptions

The paper seeks to investigate whether the span of inter-organizational structure may contribute to the “knock-on effect” manifesting the transmission of disruptions in supply chains. In order to achieve this goal, the link of the span of supply chain structure and the transmission of disruptions is revealed. The theoretical framework of the “knock-on effect” is evidenced by cross-sector findings obtained from an exploratory study carried out in European supply chains.