This study examines how manufacturing firms balance competing priorities – economic and social-ecological – under high environmental uncertainty, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firms face the challenge of aligning short-term responses to disruptions with long-term sustainability goals. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates findings from a systematic literature review, a Delphi study with 56 automotive supply chain experts, and a survey of 135 manufacturing plants. The study highlights the tensions between economic resilience and social-ecological sustainability, which often escalate into trade-offs and ethical dilemmas during crises. It underscores the importance of cumulative capability development, particularly the Sand Cone Model’s sequence of quality, delivery, flexibility, and cost efficiency, in reducing trade-offs. Additionally, it shows how collaboratively developed supply chain network capabilities complement internal operations capabilities to mitigate trade-offs. This research extends corporate sustainability theory by integrating ethical decisionmaking into paradox management models and adapting the Sand Cone Model into a Supply Chain Sand Cone Model. The findings offer strategies and a practical framework to balance economic, social, and ecological priorities during crises.