Examining the Effect of Global Supply Chain Disruption on the Trade Market for Automobiles in Zambia

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused major global supply chain disruptions. However, this study examined the effect of global Supply Chain disruption on the automobile trade market in Zambia. It incorporates comparative data spanning pre-pandemic (2016-2019) and pandemic (2020-2022) periods, providing insights into key performance shifts. The automobile industry's adoption of alternative logistics routes and enhanced supplier relationships demonstrates practical applications of theories in under-researched Zambian territories. The resource dependence theory (RDT), Institution theory (IT), and Contingency theory (CT) were incorporated. The research study relies on a qualitative research design, and the primary data were gathered from automobile dealer companies within Lusaka, Zambia. The data were gathered from surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations from different automobile organizations in Zambia. The targeted automobile companies were Ford Zambia (cfao mobility), Toyota Zambia, and Southern Cross Motors. A total of 115 people were interviewed from Procurement, Logistics, Facilities, and warehouse / Stores department amongst the three automobile dealer companies within Lusaka, Zambia. The research findings identified several key metrics on the trade market for the automobile industry utilized to monitor and assess global supply chain disruptions on trade, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these findings underscore the need for continuous improvement of resilient supply chain strategies, particularly in a global landscape marked by frequent disruptions.