International relationships and resilience of New Zealand SME exporters during COVID-19
| Autor: | Rudolf R. Sinkovics, Bridgette Sullivan-Taylor, Antje Fiedler, Noemi Sinkovics, Benjamin Fath |
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| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Value (ethics)
History Contingency plan Polymers and Plastics media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Business model Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Interpersonal ties Originality Preparedness 0502 economics and business Business Management and Accounting (miscellaneous) 050211 marketing Psychological resilience Business Marketing Business and International Management Contingency 050203 business & management media_common |
| Zdroj: | critical perspectives on international business. 17:359-379 |
| ISSN: | 1742-2043 |
| DOI: | 10.1108/cpoib-05-2020-0061 |
| Popis: | Purpose This paper aims to empirically investigate how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have engaged with international network partners during COVID-19 and how the crisis has changed network relationships and resilience depending on pre-COVID relationship strength and, secondarily, on opportunity outlook in a market. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on 14 qualitative interviews with managers of New Zealand SMEs from diverse industries and four with industry experts. Rather than generalization, the aim of this exploratory paper is to identify contingency factors, which, under duress, strengthen or break business relationships. Findings Four main patterns emerge from the data, with respect to how SMEs engaged with network partners depending on the nature of their prepandemic relationships and the extent to which their markets had been affected by the pandemic. During crisis, weak ties either break or remain weak, forcing firms to create new, potentially opportunistic, relationships. Strong ties increase resilience, even under a negative outlook, as network partners support each other, including through the development of new ties. Strong ties can also accelerate business model transformation. Research limitations/implications Future large-scale research is needed to test the generalizability of the authors’ findings. Practical implications The findings of this paper indicate lessons for business continuation management and future preparedness for major disruptions. Specific insights may help stimulate managerial action to accelerate contingency planning and policy to support SMEs. Originality/value This paper is an early study on how weak and strong ties influence SME resilience during crisis. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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