## 2 Background Literature  
### Complexity and Strategy in Industrial SCs  
In industrial SCs, the central entity, often referred to as the focal company, typically is the manufacturing unit. This unit usually is involved in product design and specifying engineering services and has primacy in defining strategic goals and action plans [27]. An illustrative industry exemplifying such dynamics is the automotive sector, in which the car manufacturer usually has the strategic primary [28]. Manufacturing companies within industrial SCs predominantly concentrate on competitive priorities [29]. These priorities encompass various aspects, such as cost-effectiveness, quality, flexibility, dependability, and innovation. A substantial body of literature has already been developed in this regard, delving into various competitive priorities [30]. Authors and studies have compiled comprehensive sets of priorities, which include subpriorities like environmental concerns or customer satisfaction (a subpriority of quality), lean production (a subpriority of cost-effectiveness), time-to-market and innovation (subpriorities of flexibility), and reliability or timeliness of deliveries (subpriorities of dependability) [31]. This study specifically concentrates on the four primitive competitive priorities outlined in the seminal study [32]: cost, quality, flexibility, and dependability. Cost reduction involves meeting customer requirements in a standardized and competitive market, in which lower prices typically prevail in competition. A focus on quality ensures adherence to standards and minimal variability in product parameters, relevant in standardized markets. Flexibility refers to the company's capacity to swiftly adjust production parameters, including lot size, production mix, product features, fabrication processes, or delivery points, without compromising other priorities. Dependability signifies the assurance provided by the company to its customers, ensuring high performance in delivery parameters such as speed, reliability, integrity, and punctuality [31]. Industrial SCs also manage overall strategies. This relatively recent area of study has prompted scholars in the literature to highlight well-established meta-strategies within SCs, defined by keywords such as efficient, resilient, responsive, and agile [33]. In brief, an efficient SC is geared towards resolving familiar issues with well-established solutions, aligning with business environments characterized by stable demand and supply. It ensures cost reduction [34]. A resilient SC is designed to address familiar issues with innovative solutions, aligning with business environments in which the demand is stable and supply may be affected by huge or catastrophic situations, such as climate or geopolitical events. It ensures continuous high-quality standards [35]. A responsive SC tackles emerging challenges with well-established solutions, aligning with business environments marked by uncertain demand and stable supply. It ensures a high level of dependability for customers [36]. Lastly, an agile SC is tailored to confront emerging challenges with innovative solutions, aligning with business environments characterized by uncertainty in both demand. It ensures a high level of flexibility [37]. Figure 1, based on the framework proposed by [38], depicts the relationship between SC meta-strategies, competitive priorities, and the levels of uncertainty on both the demand and supply sides. The meat industry is an example of an activity that relies on efficient SCs due to stable local markets and supply [39]. On the other hand, the renewable energy industry requires resilient SCs since the supply of renewable energy can be disrupted by seasonal and climate events despite high and stable local demand for energy [40]. The fast fashion industry necessitates responsive SCs due to the volatile nature of local demand for trendy clothing, even with a stable supply of raw materials [30].