Navigating Turbulent Environments: Exploring Resilience in SMEs through Complex Adaptive Systems Perspective

Balkiz Yapicioglu ()
Additional contact information
Balkiz Yapicioglu: Faculty of Design, Department of Architecture, Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design, Kyrenia 99300, Cyprus

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-25

Abstract: This study seeks to explore how owner–managers of small and medium-sized enterprises navigate a constantly changing and turbulent environment following a traumatic experience and how they build resilience in their organizations by drawing upon memories through a complex adaptive system lens. Specifically, this study investigates the major factors shaping the management strategies of SMEs operating in the infrastructure construction sector in North Cyprus, where foreign aid/the patron country is the primary source of financing and therefore the major driver of strategies. To gather primary data, semistructured interviews were conducted with owner–managers of grade 1 construction SMEs, who can participate in internationally financed public projects. A qualitative approach using thematic analysis was adopted, and findings indicate that the most influential factor shaping the management strategies of SMEs in North Cyprus is the macro characteristics of the sociopolitical environment. These characteristics evoke memories for owner–managers and lead to a dissipative approach towards managing their SMEs, creating resilience in the face of North Cyprus’ ever-changing political environment.

Keywords: owner–managers; small infrastructure construction companies; dissipative; resilience; qualitative research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/9118/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/9118/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:9118-:d:1164306

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().