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This article explores the conditions under which collaborative interaction (CI) enhances the supply chain resilience (SCR) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of systemic crises. Drawing on a survey of 150 Canadian manufacturing SMEs and using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the study investigates the moderating role of relational commitment in the relationship between CI and SCR. CI is conceptualized through three dimensions—communication, cooperation, and integration—while relational commitment includes structural relational investment, transcendence of individual interests, and shared values.Results show that communication and integration have significant positive effects on SCR, whereas cooperation does not. These findings suggest that in environments marked by uncertainty and limited resources, operational and informational mechanisms matter more than cooperative intent alone. The study also finds differentiated moderating effects depending on the form of relational commitment. Some relational configurations reinforce the impact of CI on SCR, whereas others inhibit it.This research contributes to the literature by demonstrating that SCR in SMEs is not only a function of collaborative capabilities, but also of how these capabilities interact with deeper relational conditions to enable both SCR and sustainability. It challenges the assumption that CI is inherently beneficial, highlighting instead the contingent value of social capital. The article extends dynamic capabilities theory by introducing a relational perspective more attuned to SMEs’ structural vulnerabilities and the complexity of managing partnerships under systemic crisis.
Bazile et al. (Thu,) studied this question.