Doctor of Business Administration Dissertation
Melissa Vasi
Uninettuno University, 2022
Uninettuno University, 2022
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Cite
APA
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Vasi, M. (2022). Exogenous Crises and SME Resilience - Exploring Open Innovation from a Dynamic Capabilities Perspective (PhD thesis). Uninettuno University.
Chicago/Turabian
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Vasi, Melissa. “Exogenous Crises and SME Resilience - Exploring Open Innovation from a Dynamic Capabilities Perspective.” PhD thesis, Uninettuno University, 2022.
MLA
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Vasi, Melissa. Exogenous Crises and SME Resilience - Exploring Open Innovation from a Dynamic Capabilities Perspective. Uninettuno University, 2022.
BibTeX Click to copy
@phdthesis{vasi2022a,
title = {Exogenous Crises and SME Resilience - Exploring Open Innovation from a Dynamic Capabilities Perspective},
year = {2022},
school = {Uninettuno University},
author = {Vasi, Melissa}
}
Abstract
Open innovation has become a central concept in management research, yet its potential to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in managing economic crises caused by exogenous shocks remains insufficiently understood. While existing literature has examined open innovation and dynamic capabilities separately, little is known about how their interplay enables SMEs to build resilience before, during, and after crises triggered by external factors such as pandemics, climate emergencies, or trade disruptions. This study addresses this gap by investigating how open innovation, supported by dynamic capabilities, contributes to SME business resilience in contexts of high uncertainty and environmental turbulence.
Adopting a sequential mixed-methods research design, the study combines a large-scale quantitative survey of 6,113 SMEs with an in-depth qualitative analysis of seven case-study firms. The findings are integrated through an abductive approach, resulting in the development of a framework that explains how SMEs leverage open innovation and dynamic capabilities across different phases of an exogenous crisis. The results indicate that collaboration, resource sharing, and access to external knowledge are critical for SME survival, while dynamic capabilities (particularly ambidexterity, absorptive capacity, and technology management) enable the effective implementation of open innovation in high-velocity markets.
The study contributes to theory by advancing the empirical understanding of the microfoundations through which dynamic capabilities support open innovation under crisis conditions. Furthermore, it offers practical insights into how digitalization and open business models enhance SME resilience and competitive advantage, providing guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to strengthen SMEs' capacity to cope with systemic exogenous shocks.