Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis

The paper provides a detailed analysis of SMEs’ interest in collaborative action for sustainability as a way of responding to the challenges posed by recent crises. This study attempts to bridge the research gap on how managers of small and medium-sized enterprises manage business sustainability, p...

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Main Authors: Alexandra Zamfirache, Camelia-Cristina Dragomir, Ruxandra-Gabriela Albu, Tiberiu Foris
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Business Economics and Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.vilniustech.lt/index.php/JBEM/article/view/23777
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author Alexandra Zamfirache
Camelia-Cristina Dragomir
Ruxandra-Gabriela Albu
Tiberiu Foris
author_facet Alexandra Zamfirache
Camelia-Cristina Dragomir
Ruxandra-Gabriela Albu
Tiberiu Foris
author_sort Alexandra Zamfirache
collection DOAJ
description The paper provides a detailed analysis of SMEs’ interest in collaborative action for sustainability as a way of responding to the challenges posed by recent crises. This study attempts to bridge the research gap on how managers of small and medium-sized enterprises manage business sustainability, providing complex insights into the application of collaborative practices for sustainability and the collaborative advantages that can support the competitiveness of these enterprises in the marketplace. The research design is quantitative and targeted 672 SMEs in Romania. A moderated moderation analysis is also carried out, and the model tests the relationship between the age of the analysed SMEs and the impact felt after recent crises, a relationship moderated by sustainable cooperation, and a moderator moderated by possible changes felt from the application of collaborative practices. Finally, this regression function is statistically significant and was shown to be a significant moderated moderation. The research results showed the major impact of recent crises on the activity of SMEs, indicating that the interest of these companies in collaborative actions and the level of results expected from collaboration for sustainability decreases the greater the impact of crises on their business.
format Article
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institution DOAJ
issn 1611-1699
2029-4433
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
record_format Article
series Journal of Business Economics and Management
spelling doaj-art-af59575ac70b4dbb933962871e248a252025-08-20T02:43:25ZengVilnius Gediminas Technical UniversityJournal of Business Economics and Management1611-16992029-44332025-07-0126310.3846/jbem.2025.23777Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisisAlexandra Zamfirache0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6141-443XCamelia-Cristina Dragomir1Ruxandra-Gabriela Albu2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5720-3808Tiberiu Foris3Department of Management and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, RomaniaDepartment of Management and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania; Academy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Management and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, RomaniaDepartment of Management and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania The paper provides a detailed analysis of SMEs’ interest in collaborative action for sustainability as a way of responding to the challenges posed by recent crises. This study attempts to bridge the research gap on how managers of small and medium-sized enterprises manage business sustainability, providing complex insights into the application of collaborative practices for sustainability and the collaborative advantages that can support the competitiveness of these enterprises in the marketplace. The research design is quantitative and targeted 672 SMEs in Romania. A moderated moderation analysis is also carried out, and the model tests the relationship between the age of the analysed SMEs and the impact felt after recent crises, a relationship moderated by sustainable cooperation, and a moderator moderated by possible changes felt from the application of collaborative practices. Finally, this regression function is statistically significant and was shown to be a significant moderated moderation. The research results showed the major impact of recent crises on the activity of SMEs, indicating that the interest of these companies in collaborative actions and the level of results expected from collaboration for sustainability decreases the greater the impact of crises on their business. https://journals.vilniustech.lt/index.php/JBEM/article/view/23777sustainabilitycrisescollaboration for sustainabilitySMEsmoderation analysisbusiness management
spellingShingle Alexandra Zamfirache
Camelia-Cristina Dragomir
Ruxandra-Gabriela Albu
Tiberiu Foris
Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
Journal of Business Economics and Management
sustainability
crises
collaboration for sustainability
SMEs
moderation analysis
business management
title Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
title_full Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
title_fullStr Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
title_full_unstemmed Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
title_short Collaborative actions to support SMEs' sustainability in times of crisis
title_sort collaborative actions to support smes sustainability in times of crisis
topic sustainability
crises
collaboration for sustainability
SMEs
moderation analysis
business management
url https://journals.vilniustech.lt/index.php/JBEM/article/view/23777
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AT cameliacristinadragomir collaborativeactionstosupportsmessustainabilityintimesofcrisis
AT ruxandragabrielaalbu collaborativeactionstosupportsmessustainabilityintimesofcrisis
AT tiberiuforis collaborativeactionstosupportsmessustainabilityintimesofcrisis