Abstract

This study highlights the challenges and resilience of SMEs embedded in global supply chains that are vulnerable to systemic risks. SMEs, constituting a significant portion of the global economy, have been largely overlooked in supply chain resilience literature. Faced with crises like the COVID-19 pandemic or geopolitical tensions, SMEs often adopt a wait-and-see approach, seeking to reduce uncertainty before making tangible commitments. Our proposed conceptual framework highlights strategic intelligence as a key dynamic capability to diminish uncertainty, reduce the waiting time for SMEs, and prompt them to commit tangible resources to restore balance in a new context. Three sub-capabilities of strategic intelligence are identified: supply network visibility, environmental sensing, and timely responsiveness. External moderating determinants, such as external social capital and government support, can also help overcome the limitations of SMEs' internal resources. This study calls for future empirical research to explore these relationships and address current gaps in the understanding of SMEs' supply chain resilience. It particularly encourages testing this model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. By focusing on strategic intelligence, inter-organizational resource sharing, and government support, it provides practical insights for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of enhancing SME resilience in the face of systemic disruptions. This, in turn, contributes to the resilience of our economies in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

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