This study aims to investigate how family-owned small and medium-sized family enterprises (SMEs) in the Kivu region develop and adopt resilient behaviours in response to both predictable disruptions and highly unpredictable events. It further examines how these resilience responses evolve over time.
A longitudinal qualitative multiple-case study design was adopted. Data were collected from six family-owned SMEs through repeated interviews to examine the disruptive events they experienced and the responses implemented before, during and after each disruption. The data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify and classify the resilience mechanisms mobilised throughout the disruption process.
The findings reveal that Kivu family-owned SMEs deploy multiple resilience responses simultaneously rather than sequentially. Organisational agility and market-oriented strategies are mobilised in complementary ways across different types of disruptions. The analysis also highlights a strong temporal dimension, showing that resilience practices evolve before, during and after crises through continuous learning, adaptation and strategic reconfiguration. Together, these processes produce distinct yet convergent resilience trajectories over time.
This study advances resilience theory by proposing an integrated analytical framework that combines the nature of disruptive events, the temporal dynamics of organisational responses and firms’ positioning relative to shocks. By incorporating both recurrent disruptions and unpredictable events into a single analytical perspective, the framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of how family-owned SMEs build resilience in environments characterised by chronic turbulence and extreme uncertainty.
