Post-Pandemic Resilience in the Pacific: A Research Agenda Linking Regional Supply Chains and Business Process Outsourcing in Fiji

During the coronavirus pandemic, while most sectors in Pacific Island countries like Fiji were struggling, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector proved an exception, reporting phenomenal growth. In this context, the overall objective of this study is to holistically analyse the sustainable growth of the BPO sector in Fiji. In the supply chain literature, although the BPO sector is acknowledged as an integral part of global supply chains, studies linking regional supply chains and the BPO sector are limited. This study aims to plug this gap. Methodologically, the study employs a qualitative systems thinking approach to holistically analyse this long-term sustainability issue. The study resulted in the development of a systems model that highlighted four balancing feedback loops that can contribute to the ‘collapse’ of the BPO sector in Fiji if they are not managed effectively. This implies that appropriate policy and strategic interventions must be designed to arrest the collapse of this sector. Overall, this study makes a unique contribution by providing a holistic analysis of post-pandemic resilience in the Pacific region, using a systems thinking approach for understanding the sustainable growth of the BPO sector in Fiji, within the context of a robust regional supply chain.