NAVIGATING DISRUPTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF SME ADAPTATION AND SURVIVAL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.936005Keywords:
Adaptability, Resilience, SMEAbstract
The survival and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are currently facing ongoing tests due to a modern business landscape frequently disrupted by market uncertainty and the rapid pace of technological change. Although SME resilience has received growing scholarly attention, the literature remains fragmented on the strategic and organisational mechanisms that enable SMEs to respond effectively to disruption. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) framework, an advanced search was conducted across the Scopus and Web of Science databases using combinations of the keywords SMEs, resilience, and strategic adaptability. The study included research published between 2024 and October 2026 and used established screening and qualifying criteria to identify relevant primary studies. After a thorough screening and quality assessment, 29 main papers were included in the final synthesis. The thematic analysis identified three interconnected themes: (1) Digital Transformation and Technological Innovation, highlighting the role of digital technologies and innovation in strengthening SMEs’ capacity to respond to disruption; (2) Leadership, Human Capital, and Strategic Preparedness, emphasising leadership capabilities, employee competencies, organisational readiness, and proactive preparation; and (3) Dynamic Capabilities, Bricolage, and Strategic Adaptation, demonstrating how SMEs reconfigure resources, improvise with available resources, and adapt strategies under changing conditions. Overall, the findings indicate that SME survival in disruptive environments is shaped not by a single resilience mechanism but by the interaction of technological, human, and strategic capabilities. The review provides an integrated foundation for understanding SME adaptation and identifies directions for future research on building more resilient and disruption-ready SMEs.
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