Entrepreneur and organizational resilience: A multilevel perspective on Italian SMEs

Abstract

Despite previous studies acknowledging that resilience operates at multiple levels (the individual, group, and organizational levels), there is a lack of research exploring how resilience works across levels. In this paper we explore how the individual resilience of entrepreneurs and organizational resilience affect the resilient response of their SMEs. Our hypotheses are tested through structural equation modeling using a sample of 517 Italian firms. The results show a positive relationship between the individual resilience of entrepreneurs and the resilient response of SMEs and show that organizational resilience mediates this relationship. The paper makes theoretical contributions to the literature on resilience management and practical contributions for entrepreneurs and policymakers.