Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness.
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The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better"
TALEB, 2012
Disasters, Disorders & Disruptions
Building the Antifragile Supply Chain: a Case Study of
Australian Defence Industry
This research aims to investigate how antifragile supply chains e.g., a supply chain which not only accepts adversity but is willing to embrace a period of disorder in order to reap the potential benefits of adapting to changed circumstances. Understanding the elements that contribute to identifying the disruption, negotiating the challenges and the key enablers of optimised outcomes for strategic decision making are the objectives that I will be working towards through primary research in the Australian Defence Industry environment.
To contribute to this vital study, one of very few being conducted in the Australian Defence Industry environment post the COVID-19 pandemic, please sign up for a interview with Amanda MacKinnell at ajmackresearch.youcanbook.me or contact Amanda directly at amanda.mackinnell@aib.edu.au
Information for Participants
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Conduct of the Research
The research relies upon Qualitative questions posed in a semi-structured interview, undertaken via Zoom or in person. For archiving and note taking purposes, the interviews will be recorded in order to provide traceability. Participants will be provided with a consent form to validate their availability and confirm their understanding of the parameters for the Research. Consent may be withdrawn at any stage.
Participants will be provided with a link to their recording and a transcript for their own records.
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Interviews are scheduled for a one hour period with the ability to extend if all parties agree. The transcript arising from the interview will be reviewed and analysed using code word and thematic analysis to determine trends and address the research objectives. Businesses, individuals and organisations will be anonymised during the Analysis phase. Where a specific incident, issue or experience has particular value as a direct example or attributable quote, further permissions will be sought.
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Who should participate?
Ideally - participants should be from one of five groups:
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CEOs, Operations Managers and Supply Chain Management practitioners
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SME Owners, CFOs and Managing Directors
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Peak Body Representatives
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Australian Industry Policy Directors
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Australian Defence personnel involved in Programs and policy.
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If you are unsure of which category you would be best suited to, please contact Amanda.
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About this Research
This study is conducted under the auspices of the Australian Institute of Business and explores the potential value of antifragile management practices to enhance business operations and supply chains within the Australian Defence Industry.
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Ethics Approval was received in November 2023, in accordance with the the guidelines formulated by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and governed by the policies and procedures consistent with principles as contained in publications as the joint Universities Australia and NHMRC Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. This is available at: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-code-responsible-conduct-research-2018.
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Whilst the subject under discussion is Australian Defence Industry supply chains associated with the production, delivery and sustainment of key Defence capability, at no stage will classified material be sought or gathered as part of this study. It is not intended to collect technical material (e.g. drawings) or data that would be construed as being beyond Commercial-in-Confidence to minimise the risk of security-related issues associated with the storage, analysis and ongoing management of data and products arising from analysis.
Ongoing contact with the Researcher’s Unit Security Officer is maintained to ensure the appropriate level of protection is in place for the collected data through isolated storage media, anonymised records and other measures appropriate to the body of work.
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Supervisors
Amanda's research is supervised by:
Dr Ethan Nikookar of University of Wollongong’s Supply Chain Research Centre and
Dr Sajjad Shokouhyar of the Australian Institute of Business.
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Any additional questions or concerns regarding the conduct of this research and the management of data arising may be directed towards enikookar@uow.edu.au
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