SMEs’ strategic responses to crisis: The role of organizational identity

Management Research Review. 2025. Vol. 48. No. 7. P. 1148–1181.

Emilia Karpinskaia, Alushkin L., Shirokova G., Bodolica V.

Purpose
This paper aims to shed light on the relationship between organizational identity and strategic responses to crisis through the lens of intellectual capital perspective and resource-based view.

Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal multiple case study design was adopted to extract rich data from interviews conducted with nine Russian SMEs during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings
The results suggest that: SMEs with utilitarian organizational identity choose proactive strategic responses; SMEs with normative organizational identity adopt reactive strategic responses; and SMEs with dual organizational identity implement a sequential approach to strategic responses. Furthermore, the study uncovered that the underlying mechanism behind these relationships is anchored in different domains of intellectual capital.

Originality/value
The study provides new insights on the identity–strategy nexus in the context of crisis by examining values and principles that underlie various types of organizational identity.

Keywords: SMEs, Crisis, organizational identity, Strategic responses