IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/tuhtim/313609.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

How AI can increase resilience in small and medium-sized companies

Author

Listed:
  • Brüggemann, Immo
  • Buse, Stephan
  • Villarreal, Nohemi

Abstract

This paper examines how generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be integrated into the strategic management process to strengthen the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The strategic management process is divided into three phases: First, the collection and structuring of unstructured data from the macro- and microeconomic environment takes place. Here, AI provides support by efficiently collecting and clustering relevant information, enabling decision-makers to better assess current trends and developments. In the second phase, the evaluation of internal resources, AI helps to capture implicit knowledge within the company and systematically analyze it in order to uncover strengths and weaknesses. In the final phase of strategy development, AI combines internal and external data, generates new strategic approaches and thus supports the derivation of concrete fields of action. AI acts as a partner that significantly improves decision-making and strengthens the company's resilience through sound strategic planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Brüggemann, Immo & Buse, Stephan & Villarreal, Nohemi, 2025. "How AI can increase resilience in small and medium-sized companies," Working Papers 117, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:tuhtim:313609
    DOI: 10.15480/882.14321
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/313609/1/1914592263.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.15480/882.14321?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Hutzschenreuter & S. Alexander Borchers & Philippa‐Luisa Harhoff, 2021. "Competitors matter: How competitors' actions moderate the influence of firm profitability on the prioritization between growth and efficiency increase," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 326-342, March.
    2. Dey, Prasanta Kumar & Malesios, Chrysovalantis & Chowdhury, Soumyadeb & Saha, Krishnendu & Budhwar, Pawan & De, Debashree, 2022. "Adoption of circular economy practices in small and medium-sized enterprises: Evidence from Europe," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    3. Ambika Zutshi & John Mendy & Gagan Deep Sharma & Asha Thomas & Tapan Sarker, 2021. "From Challenges to Creativity: Enhancing SMEs’ Resilience in the Context of COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hossein Rahnama & Kerstin Johansen & Lisa Larsson & Anna Öhrwall Rönnbäck, 2022. "Collaboration in Value Constellations for Sustainable Production: The Perspective of Small Technology Solution Providers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Ahmad, Farhan & Bask, Anu & Laari, Sini & Robinson, Craig V., 2023. "Business management perspectives on the circular economy: Present state and future directions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Sarmistha Mishra & Dukhabandhu Sahoo & Souryabrata Mohapatra, 2024. "Circular economy adoption in MSMEs: unveiling enablers and barriers," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(2), pages 237-263, November.
    4. Maalouf, Jamal & Miklian, Jason & Hoelscher, Kristian, 2025. "Business survival strategies in a polycrisis: SME experiences from Beirut, Lebanon," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 461-477.
    5. Hala Hmamed & Anass Cherrafi & Asmaa Benghabrit & Sunil Tiwari & Pankaj Sharma, 2024. "The adoption of I4.0 technologies for a sustainable and circular supply chain: an industry‐based SEM analysis from the textile sector," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 2949-2968, May.
    6. Tarlan Ahmadov & Susanne Durst & Wolfgang Gerstlberger & Elisabeth Kraut, 2025. "SMEs on the way to a circular economy: insights from a multi-perspective review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 289-322, February.
    7. Natália Teixeira, 2025. "Innovative Human Resource Management Strategies for Circular Economy Transition: Comparative Insights from Portugal and Sweden," Merits, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-15, April.
    8. Khorshed Alam & Mohammad Afshar Ali & Michael O. Erdiaw-Kwasie & Peter A. Murray & Retha Wiesner, 2022. "Digital Transformation among SMEs: Does Gender Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, January.
    9. Lee, In Hyeock & Lévesque, Moren, 2023. "Do resource-constrained early-stage firms balance their internal resources across business activities? If so, should they?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    10. Chowdhury, Soumyadeb & Dey, Prasanta Kumar & Rodríguez-Espíndola, Oscar & Parkes, Geoff & Tuyet, Nguyen Thi Anh & Long, Dang Duc & Ha, Tran Phuong, 2022. "Impact of Organisational Factors on the Circular Economy Practices and Sustainable Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Vietnam," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 362-378.
    11. Nadine Olipp & Mariella Schwarz & Manuel Woschank, 2025. "Integrating the Principles of Reverse Logistics into Circular Economy Strategies: A Mixed-Method Study of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-16, August.
    12. Feten Arfaoui-Masmoudi & Sourour Hazami-Ammar, 2024. "Introduction for The Special Section On "Inclusive, Circular, And Technological Transformations in Financial Accounting: Challenges and Opportunities for Organizations and Stakeholders"," Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 23(3), pages 474-482, September.
    13. Sohel Rana & Lily Kiminami & Shinichi Furuzawa, 2022. "Role of entrepreneurship in regional development in the haor region of Bangladesh: a trajectory equifinality model analysis of local entrepreneurs," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 931-960, October.
    14. Saif Ahmed & Nilufar Ahsan & Syed Shah Alam & Husam Ahmad Kokash, 2025. "Advancing Circular Economy Implementation in Malaysian SMEs: The Role of Financial Resources, Operational Alignment, and Absorptive Capacity," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 2843-2871, August.
    15. Mohammed Nawaf Jallad & Georgiana Karadas, 2024. "Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance Outcomes in Palestinian SMEs: The Role of Absorptive Capacity and Industry Type," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-22, December.
    16. Adebimpe Adesua-Lincoln, 2025. "Challenges to environmental sustainability and circular economy practices of Nigerian small and medium enterprises," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    17. Soni, Vivek & Gnekpe, Christian & Roux, Mélanie & Anand, Rashmi & Vann Yaroson, Emilia & Kumar Banwet, Devinder, 2023. "Adaptive distributed leadership and circular economy adoption by emerging SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    18. Chowdhury, Soumyadeb & Ren, Shuang & Richey, Robert Glenn, 2025. "Leveraging artificial intelligence to facilitate green servitization: Resource orchestration and Re-institutionalization perspectives," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    19. Al-Gamrh, Bakr & Rasul, Tareq, 2024. "Recession-proof marketing? Unraveling the impact of advertising efficiency on stock volatility," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    20. Allan Dênisson Soares Silva & Wesley Vieira Silva & Luciana Santos Costa Vieira Silva & Nicholas Joseph Tavares Cruz & Zhaohui Su & Claudimar Pereira Veiga, 2025. "Interdependence between supply chains and sustainable development: global insights from a systematic review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 931-962, March.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:tuhtim:313609. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ittuhde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.