In this article, we examine how external factors such as demand, security regulation, cyber risks, and relative performance influence supply chain risk management (SCRM) in young and mature small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey. For this, we utilised fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) using data from 137 Turkish SMEs. Our results suggest a single significant path for explaining SCRM in young SMEs, while we found three significant paths for explaining SCRM in mature SMEs. Furthermore, the results indicate that demand risk is the only external factor for young SMEs to realise SCRM success. For mature SMEs, demand risk and/or relative performance are essential to explain SCRM performance. Based on our findings, we theoretically contribute by unravelling the pathways through which external factors influence SCRM performance. Moreover, practitioners could align their strategies towards these pathways when constructing a strategy for achieving SCRM performance.

COVID-19 has shown how fragile our societies and economies are. Supply chains have particularly been affected. We all had to learn again that the basic supply of some goods is not as crisis-proof as we thought. Moreover, the strong division of labour and the concentration on a few companies in certain areas present considerable weaknesses in the case of a new external crisis such as the pandemic. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been affected by the current pandemic, particularly as they are highly sensitive to external threats. Using data collected between December 2020 and January 2021 through semi-structured interviews conducted with owners and/or managers of SMEs located in six different European countries (i.e., Austria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Portugal), the chapter aims to provide fresh perspectives on how SMEs address supply chain risk management in times of an external and dynamic crisis.