Strategic Partnership and Resilience of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Rivers State
Keywords:
Adaptive capability, collaborative management, organizational learning, organizational resilience, resource sharing
Abstract
This study investigatedthe relationship between strategic partnership and resilience of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)in Rivers State with dimensions of resilience such as adaptive capability and organizational learning. The much pressing problem that was solved through this research was the inability of SMEs to come together to pursue the same strategic objective which enhances collective knowledge, expertise, foster unity and have the same access to the same resources in order to outperform their rivals. In solving this problem, the research involved the statement of two hypotheses and two research questions. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data was collected from 60 managers and owners through the distribution of structured copies of questionnaire. The Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the data collected. Findings revealed that strategic partnership positively impacts adaptive capability and organizational learning, thus, enhancing firms' abilities to respond to changes in the business environment and fostercontinuous improvement and innovation for competitive advantage over rivals. The research therefore, concluded that strategic partnership in terms of resource sharing and collaborative management significantly enhancesresilience of SMEs in turbulent business environment. The study further recommended that firms should be strategic in their use of partnerships, ensuring that these moves align with their long-term objectives to remain sustainable. Also, SMEs should seek out partnerships that complement their strengths which will offer new opportunities for competitive advantage and growth.
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References
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Machuki, M. M. (2012). Relationship between Internal Growth Strategies (Organic) and the Performance of Banks in Nairobi, Kenya. Unpublished MBA project, Kenyatta University.
Maguire, B. & Cartwright, S. (2008). Assessing a community’s capacity to manage change: A resilience approach to social assessment. Australian Government Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra ACT.
Mama, C.K. & Onuoha B.C. (2020). Sensing and Organizational Resilience of Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria. International Journal of Management Sciences, 7(4), 48 – 60.
Martin, R. (2012). Regional economic resilience, hysteresis and recessionary shocks. Journal of Economic Geography, 12(1), 1-32.
McAslan, A. (2010). Organisational resilience: Understanding the concept and its application. Torrens Resilience Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
Oparanma, A.O. &Elezie, P.U. (2019). Organizational Resilience and Corporate Performance of Deposit Money Bank in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Management Future, 3(2), 1 – 12.
Osita-Ejikeme, U.E. & Amah, E. (2022). Strategic Flexibility and Corporate Resilience of Manufacturing Firms in South-South, Nigeria. International Journal of Management Sciences, 9(3), 50 – 73.
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Sanaghan, P., & Aronson, N., (2009). Deep lessons on collaboration: how collaboration really works. Bloomington: Xlibris Corp.
Sherazi, S.K., Iqbal, M.Z., Asif, M., Rehman, K. and Shah, S.H., (2013). Obstacles to small and medium enterprises in Pakistan. Principal component analysis approach. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 13(10), 1325-1334.
Staber, U. & Sydow, J. (2002). Organizational adaptive capacity: a structuration perspective. Journal of Management Inquiry, 11(4), 408-424.
Sudarsanam, S. (2003). Creating Value from Mergers and Acquisitions The Challenges. Prentice Hall Publication.
Thomson, A.M., Perry, J.L., & Miller, T.K. (2007). Conceptualizing and measuring collaboration. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 1-34.
Wang, C. L., & Ahmed, P. K. (2007). Dynamic capabilities: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(1), 31-51.
Wanjiru, B.N. & George, G.E. (2015). Analysis of Organic Growth Strategies on Performance of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: Case of Thika Sub-County, Kenya. European Journal of Business and Management, 7(5), 180-205.
Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy (13th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Yükselen, C. (2013). Pazarlama İlkeler-Yönetim-Örnek Olaylar. 10.
Akani, G.H., Ogan, H.I., Ehio, V.N. & Ude, S.C. (2023). Resource Leveraging and Organizational Resilience of Domestic Airline Operators. International Journal of Innovative finance and Economics Research, 11(3), 24 – 41.
Aldianto, L., Anggadwita, G., Permatasari, A., Mirzanti, I. R., & Williamson, I. O. (2021). Toward a business resilience framework for startups. Sustainability, 13(6), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063132
Almarri, A.S.R. (2024). Impacts of Strategic Partnership on Technolgical Transformation on Manufacturing Firms. Texila International Journal of Management, DOI: 10.21522/TIJMG.2015.10.01.Art008
Annarelli, A., Battistella, C., &Nonino, F. (2020). A framework to evaluate the effects of organizational resilience on service quality. Sustainability, 12, 958–963.
Asenge, E., L., &Asue, T., T., (2020). Market Growth Strategies and Performance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Benue State, Nigeria. Saudi Journal of Business and Management Studies. Saudi Journal of Business Management Studies, 5(1), 1-9. DOI: 10.36348/sjbms.2020.v05i01.001.
Bartik, A. W., Bertrand, M., Cullen, Z., Glaeser, E. L., Luca, M., & Stanton, C. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes and expectations. PNAS, 17656–17666.
Dalziell, E.P & McManus (2004). Resilience, Vulnerability, and Adaptive Capacity: Implications for Systems Performance. University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Dinçer, Ö. (2007). StratejikYönetimveİşletmePolitikası. İstanbul, Alfa Yayıncılık, 8. Baskı.
Dowell-Jones, M. & Ross, B. (2016). Reconceiving resilience: A new guiding principle for financial regulation. Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business, 37(1), 20-36.
Duchek, S., (2019). Organizational resilience: a capability-based conceptualization. Business Research, 13, 215-246.
Durmaz, Y. & Ilhan, A. (2015). Growth Strategies in Businesses and A Theoretical Approach. International Journal of Business and Management, 10(4), 210 – 214. doi:10.5539/ijbm.v10n4p210.
Eketu, C.A (2015). Talent Management and Sustainable Enterprise Resilience among Travel Agencies in Port Harcourt. International Journal of Business and Management, III(VIII), 56 – 65.
Emami, A., Welsh, D. H., Davari, A., & Rezazadeh, A., (2022). Examining the relationship between strategic alliances and the performance of small entrepreneurial firms in telecommunications. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1-26.
Emueje, I., Olannye, H., O., &Olanye, A., P. (2020). Entrepreneurial Resilience and Performance of an Organization: A Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. Webology, 17(2). doi: 10.14704/WEB/V17I2/WEB17044.
Eniola, A.A., (2020). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and orientation for SME development. Small Enterprise Research, 27(2), 125-145.
Gibson, C. B., & Birkinshaw, J. (2004). The antecedents, consequences, and mediating role of organizational ambidexterity. Academy of management Journal, 47(2), 209-226.
Herab, A., Al-Ghamdi, A., Alzahrani, K., Elhindi, K. M., Muddassir, M., & Kassem, H. S., (2022). A Framework for Quantifying the Strength of Partnerships between Agricultural Cooperatives and Development Actors: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 364.
Isoraite, M. (2009). Importance of Strategic Alliances in Company's Activity. Intellectual Economics, 1(5), 39-46.
Kaehler, C., Busatto,F., Becker, G.V., Hansen, P.B. & Santos, J.L.S. (2014). Relationship between Adaptive Capability and Strategic Orientation: An Empirical Study in a Brazilian Company. Business, 6, 1-9.
Karakılıç, N. Y. (2009). StratejikİttifakOluşumunda Temel YeteneklerinÖnemi: Tariş Opet Stratejikİttifakı Balanced ScoredcardÖrneği. BalıkesirÜniversitesiSosyalBilimlerEnstitüsüDergisi, 12(21), 200-214.
Karr H. (2017) Organizational Resilience, https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/ourservices/Organizational-Resilience
Kelebetse, O. M., Tangirala, S., Sethate, T., &Kuruba, G. (2019). Role of internal controls in business resilience and growth of small businesses in Gaborone. Archives of Business Research (ABR), 7(10).
Leo, M. (2020). Operational resilience disclosures by banks: Analysis of annual reports. Risks, 8(128), 1-15.
Machuki, M. M. (2012). Relationship between Internal Growth Strategies (Organic) and the Performance of Banks in Nairobi, Kenya. Unpublished MBA project, Kenyatta University.
Maguire, B. & Cartwright, S. (2008). Assessing a community’s capacity to manage change: A resilience approach to social assessment. Australian Government Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra ACT.
Mama, C.K. & Onuoha B.C. (2020). Sensing and Organizational Resilience of Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria. International Journal of Management Sciences, 7(4), 48 – 60.
Martin, R. (2012). Regional economic resilience, hysteresis and recessionary shocks. Journal of Economic Geography, 12(1), 1-32.
McAslan, A. (2010). Organisational resilience: Understanding the concept and its application. Torrens Resilience Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
Oparanma, A.O. &Elezie, P.U. (2019). Organizational Resilience and Corporate Performance of Deposit Money Bank in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Management Future, 3(2), 1 – 12.
Osita-Ejikeme, U.E. & Amah, E. (2022). Strategic Flexibility and Corporate Resilience of Manufacturing Firms in South-South, Nigeria. International Journal of Management Sciences, 9(3), 50 – 73.
Powell, W.W., Koput, K.W., Smith-Doerr, L., & Owen-Smith, J. (1999). Network position and firm performance: Organisational returns to collaboration in the biotechnology industry. Research in the Sociology of Organisations, 16(1), 129-159.
Raian, S., Ali, S. M., Sarker, M. R., Sankaranarayanan, B., Kabir, G., Paul, S. K., &Chakrabortty, R. K. (2022). Assessing sustainability risks in the supply chain of the textile industry under uncertainty. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 177, 105975. https:// doi.org/ 10. 1016/j. resconrec. 2021. 105975
Rexhepi, E. &Modenesi, S.R. (2016, August 18). The Importance of Organizational Resilience, PECB, https://pecb.com/article/the-importance-of-organizational-resilience
Sanaghan, P., & Aronson, N., (2009). Deep lessons on collaboration: how collaboration really works. Bloomington: Xlibris Corp.
Sherazi, S.K., Iqbal, M.Z., Asif, M., Rehman, K. and Shah, S.H., (2013). Obstacles to small and medium enterprises in Pakistan. Principal component analysis approach. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 13(10), 1325-1334.
Staber, U. & Sydow, J. (2002). Organizational adaptive capacity: a structuration perspective. Journal of Management Inquiry, 11(4), 408-424.
Sudarsanam, S. (2003). Creating Value from Mergers and Acquisitions The Challenges. Prentice Hall Publication.
Thomson, A.M., Perry, J.L., & Miller, T.K. (2007). Conceptualizing and measuring collaboration. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 1-34.
Wang, C. L., & Ahmed, P. K. (2007). Dynamic capabilities: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(1), 31-51.
Wanjiru, B.N. & George, G.E. (2015). Analysis of Organic Growth Strategies on Performance of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: Case of Thika Sub-County, Kenya. European Journal of Business and Management, 7(5), 180-205.
Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy (13th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Yükselen, C. (2013). Pazarlama İlkeler-Yönetim-Örnek Olaylar. 10.
Published
2025-03-01
How to Cite
MACAULAY ENYINDAH, W. (2025). Strategic Partnership and Resilience of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Rivers State. GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 8(02), 69-84. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14950117
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Articles
Copyright (c) 2025 WEGWU, MACAULAY ENYINDAH
The authors and co-authors warrant that the article is their original work, does not infringe any copyright, and has not been published elsewhere. By submitting the article to GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, the authors agree that the journal has the right to retract or remove the article in case of proven ethical misconduct.
Firozpur Jhirka, Haryana, India
