Understanding the resilience of strategic networks (SN): The case of an Italian 40-year-old SN

Engaging in different kinds of inter-organizational networks seems to be a natural strategy for SMEs that frequently open their boundaries with the aim of overcoming their limits. Strategic networks, defined as intentionally formed and managed strategic relationships with heterogeneous actors with negotiated and agreed-upon roles, are one of the forms of collaboration SMEs can use to access strategic resources with the aim of improving their performance and competitiveness. Despite their potential, strategic networks have been associated with a high record of failure. This has spurred researchers to better understanding the processes inherent to their functioning and evolution. This study examines the dynamics behind the evolution of a regional strategic network in Italy that has proven to be resilient. Drawing from the literature on strategic network dynamics and its management, and building on both primary and secondary data, we offer new insights on the dynamics behind the evolution of strategic networks by scrutinizing factors leading to crises, and their resolutions, that can lead to its transformation and resilience over time. The study shows that resilience of strategic networks requires a focus on both business and social dimensions of relationships, and alternating centralized and shared decision-making. Furthermore, relational energy mechanisms seem to play a key role in creating informal bonds among strategic network’s members and partners favoring reactivation of dormant relationships and mitigating the risk of dissolution in case of crises. • Intra- and inter-organizational mechanisms that enable strategic networks’ resilience are examined. • The resilience of a strategic network requires alternating between centralized and shared decision-making. • A managerial approach to resilience must focus on both inter-organizational and interpersonal relationships. • Relational energy fosters informality among a strategic network’s members and partners, helping prevent dissolution during crises