‘Weathering the storm’. Resilience and small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda

The survival of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) is crucial to global economies, particularly for developing countries, due to their significant contributions to development and the well-being of their societies. When SMEs develop resilience, they are better equipped to evolve and adapt their operations to changing environments, thereby increasing their survival prospects. This study aimed to investigate how SME survival is enabled by resilience, focusing on the mediators that enhance this relationship. The study adopted a quantitative positivist approach, collecting data from Ugandan SMEs selected through purposive sampling using descriptive statistics. The study found that resilience influences SME survival, the extent of which is mediated by access to finance, leadership and management, technology and innovation, and human capital management. These mediators help SMEs translate resilience into effective strategies for adaptation, agility, and continuity across different contexts. Overall, this study provides a theoretical framework that demonstrates how mediators enhance the resilience and survival of SMEs, contributing to the ongoing discourse and offering practical insights, while identifying areas for future research.