Entrepreneurial Resilience: Role of Policy Entrepreneurship in the Political Perspective of Crisis Management

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse vulnerability and robustness of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) supply chains and to consider contextual factors that might influence the success of their disturbance management: Risky product and business environment. By using an exploratory case study it is shown how these contextual factors attribute vulnerability sources, contribute to the robustness of a company's performance and supply chain vulnerability, as well as how a company seeks to manage internal and external vulnerability sources. The exploratory case is based on a fresh food supply chain of a manufacturing SME operating in a developing market.Case findings suggest that fresh food supply chains of a manufacturing SME in developing markets are prone to disruptions of their logistics and production processes due to 'riskiness' of fresh food products, the 'riskiness' of developing markets, as well as 'riskiness' of SMEs themselves. However, this does not necessarily indicate the vulnerability of an SME and its entire supply chain. Findings indicate that SMEs can be very successful in disturbance management by selective use of redesign strategies that aim to prevent or reduce the impact of disturbances. More precise, it is likely that an SME can achieve robust performance by employing preventive redesign strategies in managing 2 disturbances that result from internal, company related vulnerability sources, while impact reduction strategies are likely to contribute to robust performance of an SME if used to manage disturbances that result from internal, supply chain related vulnerability sources, as well as external vulnerability sources.

Ideas and crisis in policy and administration: Existing links and research frontiers

“…alternatives are genuine risks (Strassheim & Kettunen, 2014). Actors, such as policy entrepreneurs, who can build alignment between ideas and interests among political leaders and, for example, scientifically or experientially established knowledge, are crucial, assuming the aim of crisis management is efficacy (Miles & Petridou, 2015).…”

Preliminary Insights into SMEs Opportunities and Vulnerabilities in the European Context. A Qualitative Approach

“…As illustrated by Karadag (2016), small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Union are dealing with a test of survival, mainly due to credit conditions and the difficulties in finding skilled employees and new customers. The rules are usually established by the large customers: the contract details are determined by their position on the market and they prefer to order large quantities of products and organize promotions for their products (Vlajic, 2015). As Vlajic (2015) sustains, the customers' complaints are registered and claims are also specified to suppliers (e.g.…”

“…In the EU context, partnerships can increase the legitimacy of intervention for stakeholders by forming target groups which contribute to the implementation of projects in order to adapt to new conditions on the market (Pauw & Chan, 2018). Due to the small size of some businesses, the level of development of the technological area might be costly for these enterprises (Vlajic, 2015) Willing to depict the logic and the characteristics of SMEs cross-border processes, Senik et al (2014, p.38) drew a descriptive outline which presents the main factors defining SMEs internationalization in emerging economies (see figure 1). (Senik et al, 2014, p.38) Generally speaking, SMEs also face obstacles when dealing with the global market even if international markets offer substantial opportunities.…”