Reinventing the Resilience of Moroccan Artisan Supply Chains: An Inductive and Contextual Approach to Social Resilience

Abstract

Traditional views of supply chain resilience often focus on how systems absorb shocks and return to stability. However, these models rarely reflect the lived experiences of actors in informal and resource-constrained settings. This study explores how Moroccan artisans practice resilience, not merely as adaptation, but as a form of active resistance to economic exclusion and marginalization.

Drawing on 25 in-depth interviews and an inductive, qualitative approach, the research uncovers strategies rooted in intuitive knowledge, community ties, and cultural identity. Artisans rely on mutual aid, informal learning, and moral commitments rather than formal risk management tools. These practices form a unique mode of “resilience-as-resistance,” where survival is linked to preserving heritage, asserting dignity, and challenging dominant market structures.

The study offers a contextual rethinking of resilience by highlighting the importance of social networks, tacit knowledge, and local agency. Rather than viewing resilience as a return to equilibrium, it emerges here as an ongoing negotiation shaped by everyday practices. This research invites a broader conversation on how resilience can be understood and supported in informal economies, particularly where tradition and solidarity form the backbone of survival.

Classification JEL : O17, M11, Z10

Paper type : Empirical Research