The Governance of Digital Risk: A Qualitative Study of Meso-Risks in Platform-Mediated Tourism Supply Chains

Diyan Putranto; Fransiscus Amonio Halawa; Rintis Eko Widodo; Fahmi Setiawan; Budi Nurhamdani Ajizi

doi:10.55927/ijis.v4i11.707

Authors

Diyan Putranto Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Pariwisata dan Logistik Lentera Mondial
Fransiscus Amonio Halawa Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Pariwisata dan Logistik Lentera Mondial
Rintis Eko Widodo Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Pariwisata dan Logistik Lentera Mondial
Fahmi Setiawan Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Pariwisata dan Logistik Lentera Mondial
Budi Nurhamdani Ajizi Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Pariwisata dan Logistik Lentera Mondial

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v4i11.707

Keywords:

Tourism Supply Chain (TSSC), Meso-Risk, Digital Governance, Supply Chain Resilience, Qualitative Research, Institutional Theory, Social Exchange Theory (SET), Platformization

Abstract

This study explores the systemic governance challenges introduced by the increasing reliance on external digital platforms within the fragmented Tourism Service Supply Chain (TSSC). While digitalization offers significant gains in efficiency and customer service, it delegates critical control over logistics, pricing, and customer flow, thereby creating a new class of non-traditional, network-level vulnerabilities termed meso-risks. These threats—categorized in the research as algorithmic policy instability, data control loss, and systemic contagion during network shocks—invalidate the efficacy of traditional dyadic SCM risk models. Using a descriptive qualitative inquiry involving in-depth interviews with senior TSSC managers across a digital-dependent tourism hub, the research identifies a mandatory Dual-Governance Model for achieving operational resilience and accountability. The findings reveal that effective mitigation requires a strategic synergy of two distinct pathways: a Formal Governance path, driven by the institutional need for legitimacy and control, which involves proactive investment in technological redundancy (e.g., independent cloud systems and DLT exploration) and structured compliance protocols; and an Informal Governance path, rooted in relational capital and Social Exchange Theory, which leverages inter-firm trust and continuous coordination as the primary mechanism for achieving operational agility. The resulting conceptual framework, which aligns organizational responses with the complex adaptive nature of the TSSC, offers theoretical advancement by modeling meso-risk and provides prescriptive guidance for managers and policymakers aiming to stabilize technological progress with robust human and relational capital to ensure the long-term viability of the tourism sector

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