The role of entrepreneurial orientation in developing SMEs resilience capabilities throughout COVID-19

Zighan, S; Abualqumboz, M; Dwaikat, N; Alkalha, Z

Abstract

Through the lens of entrepreneurial orientation, this study investigates operational practices that (small and medium-sized enterprises) have either adopted or improvised to support small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience in the face of coronavirus disease 2019. Qualitative data were collected through 43 semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurial resource providers, owners and managers of several small and medium-sized enterprises across different industrial sectors in Jordan. The study contributes to the further understanding of small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience by conceptually advocating a five-pillars practitioner-grounded framework of small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience capability (efficiency-based capability, adaptive-capability, collaborative-capability, change-capability and learning-capability). Entrepreneurial orientation has been found to transition and mobilise small and medium-sized enterprises’ resilience to survive major disruptions and threats. Entrepreneurial orientation, in this study, grounded on risk-taking, innovation and proactivity, facilitates developing new capabilities that shield the firm against different threats. Practically, the study suggests several recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises to meet the challenges of coronavirus disease 2019 and similar future major shocks. Notably, the study suggests that small and medium-sized enterprises should balance short-term operational actions with long-term strategic thinking to build a resilience capability pool.

Citation

Zighan, S., Abualqumboz, M., Dwaikat, N., & Alkalha, Z. (2021). The role of entrepreneurial orientation in developing SMEs resilience capabilities throughout COVID-19. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 23(4), 227-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503211046849

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Nov 18, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 18, 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 29, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 21, 2021
• Journal: The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Print ISSN: 1465-7503
• Electronic ISSN: 2043-6882
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 227-239
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503211046849
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/14657503211046849
• Related Public URLs: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/the-international-journal-of-entrepreneurship-and-innovation/journal202559
• Additional Information: Access Information : This is an Author Accepted Manuscript of an article published in The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Users who receive access to an article through a repository are reminded that the article is protected by copyright and reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses. Users may also download and save a local copy of an article accessed in an institutional repository for the user's personal reference.