The Current Chinese Global Supply Chain Monopoly and the Covid-19 Pandemic

Because of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, supply chain management performance seems to be struggling. The purpose of this paper is to examine a variety of critical factors related to the application of contingency theory to determine its feasibility in preventing future supply chain bottlenecks. The study reviewed current online news reports, previous research on contingency theory, as well as strategic and structural contingency theories. This paper also systematically reviewed several global supply chain management and strategic decision-making studies in an effort to promote a new strategy. The findings indicated that the need for mass production of products within the United States, as well as within trading partners, is necessary to prevent additional Covid-19 related supply chain gaps. The paper noted that in many instances, the United States has become dependent on foreign products, where the prevention of future supply chain gaps requires the United States restore its manufacturing prowess.


Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to provide an accurate assessment of the current state of global supply chain management due to the  pandemic. At issue is whether supply chain management organizations within the United States are dependent upon Chinese made products, whether the United States -based supply chain management organizations need to implement additional strategies to prevent future supply chain shortages, and whether the United States should increase production internally to avoid future supply chain shortages. This essay develops the notion that global supply chain management ("GSCM") is a contingency theory candidate. The paper examines existing literature, including online sources, to determine whether contingency theory is a critical factor in sustaining future GSCM systems. The article also focuses on the impact of uncertainty theory when evaluating GSCM.

The Current State of the Literature
The purpose of this literature review is to describe how Covid-19 has influenced the outcomes from supply chain management systems. Juan and Lin focused on the effect of Covid-19 regarding United States trade policy and the disease's impact on the global supply chain management system [1]. The authors identified that some supply chain organizations would recover faster than others using the supply chain resilience hypothesis [2]. It is probably still too early to understand the long-term impact the past events will have on GSCM. Before the current viral pandemic, the majority of GSCM was monopolized by the Chinese manufacturing industry. This was prevalent given the shortage of medical masks, hand sanitizer, and the ability to obtain ventilator systems to support the continued increase of individuals falling ill due to the virus. This paper will discuss the ongoing situation with GSCM and provide a suggested method to deter such incidents from happening in the future. Scholarly research will be utilized to support arguments being made to discontinue dependence upon foreign entities that produce products for American citizens.
Haren and Simchi-Levi predicted that in mid-March 2020, the effects of Covid-19 on GSCM would force thousands of companies to shut down due to the potential for the spread of the virus, thus disrupting the GSCM's ability to deliver products over 30 days [3]. Before Covid-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ("SARS"), which took place during 2002 and 2003, the effects on the market were so minuscule that no one recognized any impact at all [4]. At that time, China only controlled just over four percent of the world's gross domestic product ("GDP") [5]. Today they control over 16 percent of the world's GDP. When China quarantined more than half of its population, this caused all manufacturing of products to come to a complete halt and disrupted the GSCM in a manner not seen since the first world war [6]. People wanted more cost-effective means of obtaining products, and manufacturing within countries such as the United States and Europe was not beneficial due to higher costs, thus resorting to these countries to rely on China for decades. Businesses want to make products more cost-effective manner to increase sales and profits. Ironically, America and Europe are now manufacturing products within their own countries, which is resulting in work stoppages in China.
The need to provide a contingency plan to prevent future disruptions of the supply chain management due to current supply chain management system requirements for collaboration and the effects of visibility, velocity and flexibility when cooperation is disrupted is prevalent [7]. behavior ("TPB"), general deterrence theory ("GDT"), protection motivation theory ("PMT"), and technology acceptance model ("TAM") was primarily used [47]. The data were derived from ten years of research on information security and information systems [48].
Supply chain management organizations depended on technology even more than on their suppliers. It seems that it is critical to incorporate behavior into every supply chain management process, regardless of the uncertainty variables such as physical manifestations, behavioral response, perception, and social expectations, and how they will impact an organization's supply chain system. Even when an organization implements all of the control measures they believe are necessary, if it is unknown how the predicted behavior interacts with sustainment processes, no risk management plan, forecasting, contingency plan, or supply flexibility methodology will be adequate. Laser technology cauterizes the gums to reduce receding gums and prevent tooth loss [52].

A Little Background Information
TAM is utilized to determine whether to accept or reject a particular technology before implementation.
TAM was created in 1986 and derived from the theory of reasoned action ("TRA") [53][54][55]. Society has come to accept technology regardless of its outcome. GSCM depends upon technology to ensure its success, but it may also be a hindrance. The United States is purchasing products from foreign manufacturers [62].
The Trade Agreement Act ("TAA") ensures that the majority of products manufactured within the United States or by approved countries abide by American manufacturing standards [63].

Should Existing Theory be Revisited?
Contingency theory, classical organization theory, and information processing theory exist within supply chain organizations because they are all focused on uncertainty [64]. Have U.S. and European countries and manufacturers looked into these theories? Other ideas to be applied are TRA and the theory of planned behavior ("TBD") [65]. When trying to mitigate uncertainty, TRA would identify behavioral intent and possibly alleviate some, if not all, of the potential tensions regarding customer satisfaction, customer base, current suppliers, and competition that drive an organization's goals [66].
The theory of planned behavior ("TPB") is another theory to consider. TPB can be used to define controls for a particular behavior to prevent a specific follow on action [67]. The TAM can also be utilized to exist within months [98]. By controlling the GSCM system, China may be able to destroy our way of life without even firing a single shot.

Mitigating a Negative Impact
It appears that the United States must discontinue its dependency on foreign products by controlling its vital resources and manufacturing efforts.

Management
Additional research in creating a production environment within the U.S. that is efficient and environmentally friendly is necessary for America to become less dependent upon Chinese made products.
Further research is needed to extend the TAM model to support supply chain management practices that implement technologies that do not create additional labor costs associated with multiple user interfaces.
Further research on behavioral intent with regards to TRA, TPB, and PBR methodologies as America progresses in the implementation of stateside production is warranted. This is necessary as human behavior has become the main focus during the stay at home orders [108]. Additionally, ASCM seems to be sufficiently flexible to meet supply and demand practices [109].
Economic and political factors that may influence the implementation of a massive stateside production environment need to be considered [110]. Finally, additional research on environmentally friendly fracking processes may be warranted.
Organizations that utilize resource dependency theory ("RDT") and transaction cost theory ("TCT") to determine whether the decision to outsource information technology services that support university libraries that are open to the public and located in Kenya were identified vital issues [111]. RDT focuses on resources that identify the resources are the lifeblood of an

Redirecting Global Supply Chain Management
China generates the most pollution in the entire world [122]. This is due to the country's heavy manufacturing processes and nearly zero environmental controls [123]. Aside from the quality of their products and lack of transparency, China will most likely not change their methods of production any time soon unless forced to do so and will continue to control the  [146][147][148][149]. This is a decisive business move given the potential for additional resources and federal funding, which is the lifeblood of most higher education institutions.

The Implications for Social Change
Dunfey defined social change as being the ability to change a current culture and social organization as time progresses, when creating an impact is vast and exponential such that its effects on society change the way we engage with others and how we create and sustain relationships [150].