SME resilience in response to business disruptions: A bibliometric review

Abstract

This bibliometric review aimed to provide greater clarity on the theories, themes, and evolution of research on the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in response to business disruptions. In addition to mapping the research landscape, our analysis positions SME resilience as a higher-order capability that enables sustained adaptation, long-term competitiveness, and organizational sustainability under conditions of persistent disruption. Bibliometric techniques were used to analyze 1477 Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 1974 and 2024. SME resilience research expanded significantly after 2009 and increased further following global crises, such as the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature clusters around three primary contexts: organizational resilience, SME-specific adaptive capabilities, and supply chain resilience. The resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theory form the main theoretical foundations of the field. Perspectives from human resource management, crisis management, and change management complement these theories. The results are synthesized into an integrative conceptual framework identifying key resilience enablers, including financial preparedness, human resource practices, digital transformation, and collaborative networks. The framework conceptualizes resilience not only as a response mechanism to disruptions but also as a higher-order capability that supports long-term sustainability and strategic adaptation in SMEs. Clarifying the field’s intellectual structure and theoretical foundations helps identify several directions for future SME resilience research. Additionally, the findings offer insights for SME stakeholders seeking to strengthen resilience in increasingly uncertain environments.