Entrepreneurial undercurrents in the shaping of resilience strategies: a mixed-methods study of small manufacturers facing systemic risk
Julien Bazile, Anne-Marie Côté, Said Toumi, Sarah Issa, Zhan SuPurpose
This study examines how small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) embedded in global supply chains build resilience strategies in response to systemic crises. It focuses on the role of entrepreneurial behavior in shaping these responses.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed-methods design was applied, combining a nationwide survey of Canadian SMEs with two focus groups of supply chain practitioners. This approach enabled the identification of systemic vulnerabilities and the analysis of firm-level responses from both statistical and contextual perspectives.
Findings
The results show that SMEs are highly vulnerable due to dependence on international suppliers, limited input traceability and the lack of substitutes for critical components. In response, SMEs adopt adaptive strategies such as supplier diversification, procurement reconfiguration, inventory adjustments and product-market repositioning. Although often informal and reactive, these strategies are influenced by entrepreneurial behaviors such as bricolage, effectuation and improvisation, which support decision-making under uncertainty and resource scarcity.
Practical implications
The study provides actionable insights for enhancing SME resilience, including targeted supply chain mapping, differentiated inventory practices and opportunity-driven repositioning. Entrepreneurial thinking emerges as a critical driver of practical adjustments in the face of systemic crises.
Originality/value
This research integrates entrepreneurship and supply chain management by demonstrating how entrepreneurial behavior informs resilience-building in turbulent contexts. It extends supply chain resilience theory through a behavioral perspective and introduces a framework tailored to SMEs operating under systemic constraints.