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Women’s Skills and Aptitudes as Drivers of Organizational Resilience: An Italian Case Study

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The economic system has experienced heavy consequences caused by the recent pandemic. This paper investigates the interaction between the crisis and organization reaction, focusing on the female managerial role and contribution to overcoming the crisis in male-owned and managed companies. To achieve the research objectives, we used a qualitative research method based on an explorative case study. The results show that female managerial skills have fostered organizational resilience in terms of: (i) the attitude to change; (ii) the ability to promote new initiatives; and (iii) the ability to have initiated, consolidated, and managed solid formal relationships with institutional stakeholders. Our results also highlight the decisive contribution of corporate governance (even if male-oriented) in favoring the growth and autonomy of women in positions of responsibility. This contribution is evidenced by (iv) increasing delegation of roles and responsibilities in managing relationships with institutional stakeholders to women managers; and (v) recognizing women managers’ talents in terms of career progression. The originality of this work is represented by the survey that aims to determine how the female management of businesses managed and owned by men can foster the resilience of companies. On the other hand, this paper investigates how female leadership drives organizational resilience during unexpected shocks, opening an interdisciplinary viewpoint.
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administrative
sciences
Article
Women’s Skills and Aptitudes as Drivers of Organizational
Resilience: An Italian Case Study
Antonietta Cosentino * and Paola Paoloni


Citation: Cosentino, Antonietta, and
Paola Paoloni. 2021. Women’s Skills
and Aptitudes as Drivers of
Organizational Resilience: An Italian
Case Study. Administrative Sciences 11:
129. https://doi.org/10.3390/
admsci11040129
Received: 29 September 2021
Accepted: 7 November 2021
Published: 10 November 2021
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Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
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4.0/).
Department of Law and Economics of Productive Activities, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy;
paola.paoloni@uniroma1.it
*Correspondence: antonietta.cosentino@uniroma1.it
Abstract:
The economic system has experienced heavy consequences caused by the recent pandemic.
This paper investigates the interaction between the crisis and organization reaction, focusing on
the female managerial role and contribution to overcoming the crisis in male-owned and managed
companies. To achieve the research objectives, we used a qualitative research method based on an
explorative case study. The results show that female managerial skills have fostered organizational
resilience in terms of: (i) the attitude to change; (ii) the ability to promote new initiatives; and (iii)
the ability to have initiated, consolidated, and managed solid formal relationships with institutional
stakeholders. Our results also highlight the decisive contribution of corporate governance (even if
male-oriented) in favoring the growth and autonomy of women in positions of responsibility. This
contribution is evidenced by (iv) increasing delegation of roles and responsibilities in managing rela-
tionships with institutional stakeholders to women managers; and (v) recognizing women managers’
talents in terms of career progression. The originality of this work is represented by the survey that
aims to determine how the female management of businesses managed and owned by men can foster
the resilience of companies. On the other hand, this paper investigates how female leadership drives
organizational resilience during unexpected shocks, opening an interdisciplinary viewpoint.
Keywords: woman managers; relational capital; COVID-19; personal aptitude; skills
1. Introduction
The crises that have characterized recent decades’ economic and social scenarios
have made more complex how people, businesses, and territories operate, innovate, and
explore, organizing activities and behavior to identify new growth and development paths
(
Caputo et al. 2019
;Rullani 2014). Notably, there has been a rise in the strength and variety
of challenges that threaten organizations. We think of the global economic downturn,
natural catastrophes, industrial accidents, the withdrawal of dangerous products, infor-
mation technology breaches, data security violations (Williams et al. 2017), and, finally,
the COVID-19 pandemic. The current Coronavirus crisis emerged from the propagation
of SARS-CoV-2 beyond China, severely affecting various countries, including Italy, Spain,
Germany, France, Iran, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and the United States, becoming a
global pandemic. The International Monetary International Monetary Fund (2020) has
stated that the world entered a crisis comparable to or worse than the 2008–2009 financial
crisis (Mora Cortez and Johnston 2020). However, many aspects make the crisis caused
by COVID-19 different from the last global financial crisis, which started in the financial
sector and primarily affected companies by making it difficult for financial intermediaries
to perform their function (He and Harris 2020).
The recent pandemic has caused a human tragedy of lost lives, broken families, scarred
communities, and economic and social changes prompted by organizations’ answers to
the pandemic-driven shutdown. Various phenomena, such as the unusual shutdown of
businesses in specific sectors, social distancing prescriptions, and the general uncertainty
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11040129 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/admsci
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 2 of 18
prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in the temporary halt of significant parts
of the economy in many countries in 2020 (Apostolopoulos et al. 2021). Thus, the economic
system as a whole has experienced heavy consequences as many firms have suddenly
experienced a stoppage in their capacity to generate revenues (Milani 2021).
The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the public debate as to what extent the female
working population has suffered more significant income and employment reductions. This
aspect is due to women frequently being the primary caregivers in the family and, as such,
women were faced with the closure of schools and daycare facilities (
Graeber et al. 2021
).
On the other hand, some scholars believe that the COVID-19 crisis can bring about changes
that can potentially reduce gender inequality in the labor market (
Alon et al. 2020
). An
aspect less investigated by the more recent literature concerns the contribution that women
entrepreneurs or managers’ attitudes, skills, and characteristics can make in identifying
and managing the resilience strategies of companies in the face of unexpected shocks.
In this scenario, the health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic requires
scholars to investigate its effects on companies (Mullins 2020;Lucchese and Pianta 2020;
Paoloni et al. 2021
). On the one hand, the investigation can provide visibility to the current
conditions of the productive world. On the other hand, scholars can propose concrete solu-
tions and suggestions that help businesses recover more quickly from the crisis. Notably,
scholars are called to investigate the interaction between the crisis and organization reaction.
This stream of research includes improving organizational resilience to react to adversity
and decrease it before it arises (Van Der Vegt et al. 2015;Van Wart and Kapucu 2011).
Great attention should be paid to the role and contribution of female entrepreneurship
(or managerial skills). Indeed, in the changed environmental context, it has become central
to investigate the contribution of women managers to overcome the crisis caused by
unexpected shocks. The recent literature less explores this aspect. We aim to fill this gap by
paying attention to the role played by women managers in the COVID-19 era.
Based on the relevant literature on organizational resilience, we formulated the fol-
lowing research question:
R.Q.: What is women managers’ contribution to the ability of firms to overcome the crisis
caused by an unexpected shock?
We used a qualitative research method based on an explorative polar case study
(
Yin 2014
). We investigated a cooperative agricultural enterprise active in the wine sector,
with a long tradition that has been firmly rooted in Italy’s center for over a century. Despite
the territorial connotation, it is a company that operates throughout the national territory
and abroad, even if only to a minimal extent.
The results show that female managerial skills have been drivers of critical success
factors both during the management of shutdowns and during the subsequent phase of pro-
gressive reopening. Notably, our study found several characteristics and skills attributable
to the female manager who has fostered organizational resilience: (i) the attitude to change;
(ii) the ability to promote new initiatives; and (iii) the ability to have initiated, consolidated,
and managed solid formal relationships with institutional stakeholders.
This paper investigates women’s role in the economic systems. We adopt an original
perspective less investigated in recent literature, to the best of our knowledge. Notably, we
analyze how female leadership drives organizational resilience during unexpected shocks.
It provides an interdisciplinary perspective and offers research ideas in other subjects,
such as sociology, psychology, and neuroscience. Even if the results have been obtained
concerning an Italian case study, we believe they are of broad international interest and
application because they refer to a general context, and female aptitudes and skills are not
referable to a local context only.
This paper is structured as follows. Section 2analyses the relevant literature on the
topic. Section 3describes the research methodology. Section 4shows the results. Finally,
the conclusions of the research are presented in Section 5.
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 3 of 18
2. Organizational Resilience and Relational Capital
The need for companies to identify new growth and development paths takes on very
particular connotations during unforeseen shocks (He and Harris 2020;Mora Cortez and
Johnston 2020), such as that caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic (Ali et al. 2021). The
current events affect the health and economic systems of the entire planet, as shown by all
the leading economic indicators (Eurostat 2021;Istat 2021).
The scientific literature has already observed what happens when sudden situations
arise, such as those caused by catastrophic events, and has argued that resilience is a
survival factor in facing threats from the external environment (Van Der Vegt et al. 2015).
The term ‘resilience’ has been adopted to describe organizations, systems, or individuals
who react to and recover from pressure or disorders with minimal effects on their stability
and functioning (Linnenluecke 2017).
The resilience concept refers to an organization’s ability to absorb an environmental
shock and learn to bounce back (Meyer 1982;Gittell et al. 2006;Gittell 2008). Resilience is
due to an organization’s cognitive, behavioral, and contextual properties that increase its
ability to understand its current situation and develop customized responses that reflect
that understanding (Lengnick-Hall et al. 2011). Studying a system’s resilience requires
the identification of the aptitudes and capacities of significant parts of the system and an
analysis of how they interact with each other and their environment. This analysis allows
us to predict key performance outcomes at different levels of research before and after a
disruptive event.
Some scholars have observed that the composition of individual characteristics deter-
mines the system’s potential for resilience (Page 2014;Bell 2007), while the relationships
between individual employees and the network in which they are embedded (social rela-
tionships) influence the availability and accessibility of these capabilities and the resources
for adaptive responses (Carmeli et al. 2013).
The most important parts of organizations as complex systems are their employees. A
significant source of capacity for organizational resilience is contained in the characteristics
of employees, “including individuals’ skills and capacities, cognition, affect, behaviors,
and self-regulatory processes (
. . .
), intelligence, self-efficacy, emotional stability, openness
to experience, social support, emotion recognition, self-discipline, resourcefulness, and
cognitive flexibility” (Van Der Vegt et al. 2015, p. 6). Many of these characteristics can be
traced back to the feminine universe (Reiter 1995;Nelson 2006;Eagly et al. 2014).
The so-called ‘organizational resilience’ can be included in this stream of research.
Organizational resilience is defined primarily as the capacity of an organization to develop
the ability to prevent certain events. It is secondarily defined as the ability to adapt to
unexpected interruptions (the proactive aspect) and to suddenly take the actions necessary
to respond to such a disruption, guaranteeing business continuity (the reactive aspect)
(Jia et al. 2020).
The analysis of organizational resilience in states of emergency emphasizes how
relational capital reveals all its functionality as a value driver (Prasad et al. 2019). In-
deed, relational capital allows organizations access to critical information and resources
to achieve proactive and reactive organizational resilience (Bode and Macdonald 2016;
Johnson et al. 2013
). The attention paid to relational capital improves the willingness to take
care of relationships, implements contact with stakeholders, and facilitates open communi-
cation and information sharing by building behavioral transparency, which is more sought-
after during disasters and natural calamities (Villena et al. 2011;
Lengnick-Hall et al. 2011
).
Previous studies highlighted companies’ collaborative strategies during COVID-19 (Crick
and Crick 2020;Bapuji et al. 2020) and hypothesized that it would be difficult to maintain
existing ones (Obal and Gao 2020).
A central aspect to investigate is relationships as development drivers (
Palmatier 2008
),
which have become critical factors of resilience and business development during the
COVID-19 pandemic (Eggers 2020). First of all, is the relationship with the territory.
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 4 of 18
The territory is the physical and geographical place where the company operates
and represents a strategic resource, becoming the space where intangible resources are
developed (e.g., knowledge, creativity, culture, and art). The territory is also characterized
by an identity, where companies define their economic, social, and environmental devel-
opment (Barzotto et al. 2016). Finally, relationships between the various actors capable of
encouraging a harmonious development process are born and developed in the territory.
The territory’s function surrounding companies and their actions following a dif-
ferent logic should not be overlooked. While the company is a production system, the
territory must be interpreted as an exchange system where individuals are simultaneously
economic operators, family members, institution members, and consumers. The result is
the company’s new vision, which includes relationships with the external environment
(Paoloni 2021
;Paoloni et al. 2019;Tseng 2014). Thus, the company’s value should reflect
the economic-financial performance and those that feed the collective well-being, although
it is difficult to quantify (Paoloni et al. 2018;Iaia et al. 2019;Cosentino 2020).
Intangible resources, such as trust, relational systems, reputation, legitimacy, and
consensus constitute the so-called ‘territorial social capital’ (Manning and Sun 2015;
de Castro et al. 2004). The skills and attitudes of human resources (Belso-Martinez and
Diez-Vial 2018), the level of social cohesion, the quality of life, and the vitality of eco-
nomic and social exchanges are the bases of the harmonious development of the territory
(Boedker et al. 2004;St-Pierre and Audet 2011;Goldsby et al. 2021).
In companies’ development processes, as in those of resilience to economic crises, the
relationships between companies and the territory become central since it is in the envi-
ronment that the relationships between the various actors are born and developed. These
relationships encourage the harmonious development of firms. By adopting this perspec-
tive, the economic development of businesses becomes an objective that is fully realized if
combined with the other purposes of the territory, such as quality of life, conservation of
the landscape, enhancement of available resources, and social growth (
Cantino et al. 2019
;
Bresciani 2017;Goldsby et al. 2021;Cosentino et al. 2021). Therefore, the territory is un-
derstood not as a passive entity devoid of stimuli but as a place capable of generating
innovation and development, thanks to the actors who collaborate to create new knowl-
edge. At the same time, a territory is a place of coordination of production activities and
residence of the governing bodies that provide the policies for allocating resources. The
contribution of the latter to overcome the crisis is easy to understand.
The Factors Influencing a Firm’s Value during a Crisis: Relational Capital, Other Intangibles,
and Female Capabilities
The resilience literature has investigated the various resource endowments that are
likely to positively influence an adjustment to challenges and, as a consequence, the value
creation of the firm in a state of emergency. These resources are the endowments in financial,
cognitive, behavioral, relational, and emotion regulation capabilities (Williams et al. 2017).
In this research, we focus on relational abilities.
Relational capabilities can be defined as the social connections that enable access to
and exchange of tangible and intangible resources (Paoloni 2021). In the context of adversity,
intangible assets such as relational capabilities, trust, and knowledge play a crucial role
in shaping actions and enabling positive functioning in the face of an unexpected shock
(Williams et al. 2017;Colquitt et al. 2011;Gittell 2008).
The links between intangible assets, such as relationships and corporate performance,
are central to the business–economic studies. The international literature has tackled
the issue from an organizational perspective, highlighting the correlation between the
production sector, the company’s structure, and the company’s performance (
Mason 1939
;
Bain 1968). It then analyzes the resources used (Penrose 1959;Peteraf 1993), which attributes
the main effects on performance to the possession of company resources and capabilities.
According to the strategic approach, intangibles, particularly knowledge, credibility, and
organizational cohesion, are levers of competitive advantage (Guthrie et al. 2001).
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 5 of 18
More recently, scholars have recognized the possession of unique and rare knowl-
edge to be the leading resource for creating business value (Belso-Martinez and Diez-Vial
2018). The conservation of knowledge and its application are the basis of economic growth
and well-being. The organization’s ability to innovate is closely related to its endow-
ments of intellectual capital and its capacity to effectively use its knowledge resources
(Guthrie et al. 2001)
. The development of this approach led to the relationship-based vision
(Dyer and Singh 1998)
, according to which the value created by companies is not based
solely on the possession and dissemination of knowledge, but also on the relationships
that the company fosters, which constitute the so-called relational capital (Johansson 2007).
Thus, the knowledge incorporated in customers, suppliers, and consumers and the organi-
zation’s internal and external relationships (Boedker et al. 2004) constitute the relational
capital. Intangible assets such as reputation, corporate image, business partnerships, and
alliances are examples. The value of the company’s relationships with other social agents
and the surrounding environment (Apostolopoulos et al. 2021) expresses the relational
capital (Johansson 2007;de Castro et al. 2004). Relational capital is also seen as part of a
company’s strategy for obtaining a competitive advantage (Subramaniam and Youndt
2005;Paoloni 2021), even in times of crisis (Crick and Crick 2020;Bapuji et al. 2020).
Notably, while entrepreneurs by nature are resilient, the COVID-19 crisis, due to its
magnitude and length, has led to specific challenges being faced by entrepreneurs when
adapting to the new environment (Apostolopoulos et al. 2021). These challenges may be
related to the way entrepreneurs respond to uncertainty by being flexible and supporting
an entrepreneurial ecosystem environment that includes formal and informal relationships
(Ratten 2021;Paoloni 2021). According to studies on leadership in organizations, women
tend to adopt a more democratic or participative style and a less autocratic or directive
style than men. This conclusion is consistent with the gender-stereotypic expectation that
women lead in an interpersonally oriented manner and men in a task-oriented style (Eagly
and Johnson 1990).
The topic of relationships and their contribution to the company’s value can be
explored concerning women managers’ roles in building these relationships. Some research
on leadership style suggests that females have an advantage. Thus, the effects of sex-related
values, attitudes, and ethical tendencies (e.g., benevolence and universalism) warrant
consideration (Eagly et al. 2014). The mainstream business literature has shown that firms
set up and run by females exhibit a set of distinctive features (Bruni et al. 2004;Paoloni 2021;
Gawel and Głodowska 2021;Knowles and Mainiero 2021). Some scholars increasingly
assert that females have an advantage in leadership, whereby women are more likely than
men to lead in a style that is effective under the current conditions. Eagly and Carli (2003,
p. 807) show that “women have some advantages in typical leadership style but suffer
some disadvantages from prejudicial evaluations of their competence as leaders, especially
in masculine organizational contexts. Nonetheless, more women are rising into leadership
roles at all levels, including elite executive roles”. The issue is of great interest, considering
that companies face one of the greatest crises of the modern era because a crisis can be a
source of valuable learning (Shepherd et al. 2014).
Stephens et al. (2021) indicate that exploring a crisis episode’s personal/emotional and
business/financial costs is essential. Furthermore, it is crucial to assess the impacts that a
temporary shutdown can have on business models and operations carried out because the
ability of an entrepreneur to manage a crisis successfully can mean the difference between
survival and failure. We propose investigating this ability insofar as it is attributable to
female management because the literature less explores this aspect with some exceptions
(Vasili´c et al. 2020).
More recent literature has analyzed other aspects. Scholars’ attention has focused on
the effects of lockdowns on care work and the gender gap, which have produced a marked
worsening of women’s conditions (Collins et al. 2020;Kramer and Kramer 2020;Blundell
et al. 2020;Bahn et al. 2020;Hennekam and Shymko 2020). Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic
has reinforced the public debate on the extent to which the female working population
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 6 of 18
has suffered income and employment reductions. This aspect is due to women frequently
being the primary caregivers in the family and, as such, facing the closure of schools and
daycare facilities (Graeber et al. 2021). On the other hand, some scholars believe that the
COVID-19 crisis can bring about changes that can potentially reduce gender inequality in
the labor market (Alon et al. 2020).
Previous studies show that crises damage the performance of female-run S.M.E.s in
terms of production and profit (Davidson 2012;Cesaroni et al. 2015;
Giotopoulos et al. 2017)
.
The same evidence has emerged in the COVID-19 era (Sultan and Sultan 2020). Otherwise,
Castiglione et al. (2020) found that a firm’s productivity is positively influenced by the
presence of women managers in post- and pre-crisis periods, revealing that female human
capital is essential to the management of manufacturing companies.
Grandy et al. (2020)
show that structural inequality and the (in)visibility of women’s entrepreneurship have
been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this changed environmental context, investigating women managers’ contribution
to the productive world has become central to gender equality because investment in
women boosts economic development, competitiveness, job creation, and G.D.P. (Gawel
and Głodowska 2021;Marlow and McAdam 2013). The OECD estimates that, on average,
across the OECD, a 50% reduction in the gender gap in labor force participation would
lead to an additional gain in G.D.P. of about 6% by 2030 (OECD 2021). Furthermore,
these studies trigger the insertion into the economic theory of values such as cooperation,
loyalty, and reciprocity (which derive from applying feminine qualities such as flexibility,
intuition, and humanity) (Knowles and Mainiero 2021). This insertion could prompt
mainstream theory to elaborate economic models that account for the connection between
individuals and the influence that social and cultural factors exert on individual choices
(Baldarelli et al. 2018).
In summary, one of the least-investigated aspects of the literature that we believe
deserves to be examined concerns the contribution that women entrepreneurs or managers’
attitudes, skills, and characteristics can make to identifying and managing the resilience
strategies of companies in the face of unexpected shocks.
In this paper, we aim to fill this gap, paying particular attention to the role played by
women managers in manufacturing firms in the COVID-19 era.
3. Research Methodology
We used an exploratory study to answer the research question (“What is women
managers’ contribution to the ability of a firm to overcome a crisis caused by an unexpected shock?”)
through a qualitative research method. The data for the study were collected through
semi-structured interviews, and a thematic analysis was conducted to obtain the research
findings.
Our research approach is supported by the calls from Ratten (2021) and Paoloni and
Serafini (2021) for empirical work on COVID-19 to be exploratory. Furthermore, we follow
the recommendation from Nummela et al. (2020) and use a narrative-based approach to
report how COVID-19 has changed entrepreneurs’ lives and behaviors. Other scholars
have already used this approach (Stephens et al. 2021;Spadavecchia and Yu 2021).
Our approach allows us to fill the gap in the literature concerning the contribution of
the skills and attitudes of women managers to identifying timely and effective strategies
for overcoming the crisis (Paoloni and Serafini 2021).
3.1. Research Context
Before starting qualitative research, context analysis is required (Kohlbacher 2006;
Miller and Dingwall 1997).
The agro-food sector has been deeply affected by the economic crisis and by govern-
ments’ lockdowns. It represents an integral part of the European and Italian economies.
Firms operate in a highly competitive market due to increasing globalization, the pro-
gressive reduction in entry barriers, and the presence of large multinationals. Faced with
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 7 of 18
essential constraints, such as the slowing demand and the strengthening of the food retail
sector, agro-food companies have developed new sector strategies, especially in Western
countries. They have expanded their markets towards emerging economies in the fight
for leadership positions. These strategies lead to a greater concentration of capital and
highlight the global food oligopoly (Gumbert and Fuchs 2018;Caiazza and Volpe 2014).
In Europe, the sector is characterized by small enterprises with crops that do not exceed
5 hectares. These are mainly family businesses. Investments made in 2018 amounted to
E.U.R. 59 billion, an increase of 4% compared with 2017. Agriculture contributed 1.1%
of the European Union’s G.D.P. in 2018 (Eurostat 2021, European Union). Based on the
available data, the wine sector is one of the most affected by the restrictions, essentially
due to the closure of the Hôtellerie, Restaurant, Catering, and caféchannel (Ho.Re.Ca).
The latest data show that the lockdowns imposed on the Ho.Re.Ca—in addition to the
intrinsic–emotional factors due to the state of emergency—have influenced the population’s
consumption choices. These aspects have profoundly affected wine production (Istat 2021;
Ismea 2021). A decline in Italian wine exports was confirmed in October 2020, which
matured significantly during the first months of the health crisis. Still, this volume could
not be sustained during the autumn period. The month’s exact data show a decrease in
volume of 6% compared with the same month of the previous year, against a loss in value
of 3%.
In 2020, the exports reduced by
2.7% for 5.11 billion in revenue. The loss in value
was more than proportional, with a reduction of
3.4% compared with 2019. The year 2020
closed with 20.8 million hectoliters shipped across the border for a turnover of 6.2 billion
and a loss of
3% compared with 2019. However, the results are less critical if evaluated in
light of the sharp reduction in the international wine trade and the even more disappointing
performance of the main competitors.
According to ISMEA’s elaborations, there was a loss of 7% in the volume of exports
and over double that loss in value (
15%) for France, while Spain lost 10 and 5 percent,
respectively. Italian exports recorded significant setbacks in two important client countries
(the United States (
5.9% in value) and the United Kingdom (
9.5%)) and significant
losses in the Far East (
18.6% in Japan and
33.6% in China). On the other hand, the
turnover in Germany (+4%), the second most important destination for Italian wineries,
the Scandinavian Peninsula, Switzerland, and Canada, grew against a hold on the Russian
market (Ismea 2021).
3.2. Research Method
Having defined the context, we started our investigation through an in-depth analysis
of an explorative case study. Notably, to comply with the study’s aim, we used a qualitative
investigation methodology to analyze a polar case study (Yin 2014), which is particu-
larly suitable for understanding complex phenomena according to a holistic approach
(
Flynn et al. 1990
;Gummesson 1988). The case study approach is ideal for responding to
“how and why” questions about a contemporary set of events (Yin 1993;Leonard-Barton
1990). Furthermore, researchers have argued that several data groups can be difficult
or impossible to tackle by means other than qualitative approaches such as a case study
(Sykes 1990).
The research was structured based on the following research protocol (Miles and
Huberman 1994):
Stage 1: industry choice. This study builds on previous research on agro-food compa-
nies. The changed context due to COVID-19 has prompted us to update prior conclusions
and deepen the study of these companies’ behavior during the crisis, focusing on the
contribution of women managers.
Stage 2: case study choice. We selected a case study that, albeit indirectly, would allow
for a broader framework of observation. Thus, we analyzed a cooperative in the wine
sector with a long history currently active in the center of Italy.
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 8 of 18
To identify the connections between the relevant aspects, we selected three variables:
(a) company size; (b) company longevity; and (c) territory (Stake 2006):
(a) company size: we investigated a medium/large cooperative with over 200 agricultural
entrepreneurs;
(b)
company longevity: to have a broad time frame of reference, we observed a mature
enterprise, which allowed us to reach conclusions of general validity;
(c)
territory: the choice of the operational area was strategic. Since the research began
during the first lockdown (March–April 2020) and the research protocol provided for
on-site visits, it was necessary to identify a company that was active in the Roman
territory and easily accessible to the researchers in compliance with the limits imposed
by the restrictive measures. Simultaneously, to validate our conclusions, the company
needed national relevance to offer an observational area that extended to the Italian
territory.
Stage 3: Relevance of females to the management area. We required the presence of at
least one female manager in a relevant strategic area (Paoloni 2021). Thus, we focused on
an Italian wine cooperative whose quality manager (QM) was a young female winemaker.
Data sources are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Data sources.
Database Typology Subjects Interview Code
Primary data Interviews
Quality Manager I1
Company president I2
Professional Accountant I3
Secondary data Documents and
virtual tours
Scientific literature
Social media
Specialized newspapers
Web sites
Accounting system
The interviews lasted a total of 300 min, and we guaranteed the anonymity of the inter-
viewees. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were investigated using
in vivo
coding in NVivo (Miles 2015), and each author performed reliability checks. The
results obtained were discussed among the authors and with the interviewees
(Yin 2014)
.
The data were collected in two phases over twelve months (June–July 2021).
Phase 1 occurred in mid-June 2020, circa four weeks after the first economic lockdown
had been removed. The activities referred to in the Ho.Re.Ca were permitted in Italy starting
from 18 May 2020 in compliance with the anti-COVID regulations on social distancing.
Phase 2 occurred in mid-July 2021, circa four weeks after the (re)opening of the
economy. The majority of businesses had (re)opened but in a limited capacity.
The following sections present the data collected during two periods of great uncer-
tainty for entrepreneurs and at times when their availability to participate in research
was limited. In our case, on the other hand, we were able to count on the company’s
collaboration, which was driven by a desire to show determination and confidence in the
adopted choices.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1. Company Analysis
Our case study is a cooperative founded in 1945 by farmers motivated by a desire
for aggregation. In 1946, the company began marketing packaged wines throughout the
country. In the 1960s, the top wines crossed national borders and actively participated
in affirming “Made in Italy” throughout the world. Starting from the end of the 1960s,
the organization received DOC wine awards for its productions. In 1989, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Forestry declared a “cooperative society of national interest”. The
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 9 of 18
company’s mission is to keep the millennial Roman peasant civilization alive and enhance
the territory and viticulture of the “Castelli Romani” (the area in the center of Italy).
Currently, the cooperative has 200 members who cultivate 1200 hectares of land and
produce 120,000 quintals of grapes. The 2019 turnover exceeded E.U.R. 17 million. The
production structure is spread over two factories (Marino and Frascati) close to Rome
(Italy). There are 29 employees.
Interestingly, I2 states that: ‘Considering all the member companies, we can estimate that
the entire supply chain involves 500 farmers, 100 units of transport workers and seasonal laborers’.
Tables 2and 3summarize some relevant data about the dimensional characteristics of
the case study. This information helped us compare similar firms’ results by the sector of
activity (Yin 2014).
Table 2. Dimensional variables.
Main Variables Observed Value (Euro) 2019
Production value 17,380,274
Hectare Shareholders 1200
Tangible fixed assets 4,032,523
Labor cost 1,553,394
Employee number 29 units
Inventories of raw materials and finished products 9,934,262
Net assets 3,122,611
Table 3. The territorial distribution of turnover.
Distribution of Turnover Percentage
Local 0.04
Regional 0.30
National 0.61
Foreign 0.05
Total 1.00
4.2. The Shutdown’s Impact on Turnover and Distribution Channels
Turnover during the pandemic slowed sharply. In 2020, the turnover growth was
reduced by 2%, while inventories fell by over 24%. These reductions were primarily due to
two factors:
-
the blockade of the Ho.Re.Ca. channel, which caused national and international orders
to fall; and
-
the propensity to consume and the demand characteristics impacted the types of
wines purchased rather than the sales volumes.
Wine is one of the products with the highest symbolic value and a cultural asset with
a social meaning (Paoloni et al. 2021). The state of emergency due to the pandemic has
hurt consumption choices. A 30% drop in “bubbly” sparkling wines, and sparkling wines
associated with celebrations, was observed, and consumption initially turned towards
low-end wines. As I1 points out:
In the initial phase of the lockdown, the consumer preferred low-end wines, afraid that
the situation was grave and had economic consequences. Later, he gave “value” to the
wine, as if it were a “treat he deserved” for the isolation he was forced into, and he turned
to wines of a slightly higher range.
As a result of the first lockdown, the company decided to close the main store, to
minimize the movement of people and, consequently, minimize the possibility of employees
contracting COVID-19, which would have forced the production departments to lockdown.
Temporary staff replacements were not a solution. Indeed,
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 10 of 18
The company’s characteristics make it impossible to imagine the temporary replacement
of staff through temporary employment agencies, which many large-scale retail companies
have used instead.’ (I1)
The company also had to stop tastings and sommelier courses, which it had recently
started, strengthening the corporate image and increasing brand visibility.
4.3. The Contribution of Female Management
To respond promptly to the changed context, the company had to reinvent the local
visibility channel. ‘The Q.M. played a central role, but the decisions adopted result from a shared
process’ (I2).
A team formed by five to six women aged between 35 and 55 years managed the
renewal process. The Q.M. coordinates with the (male) president, to whom she refers
proposals and initiatives developed by the female team.
The president and the board of directors have given me confidence and autonomy both in
the management of internal processes (development of the e-commerce channel) and in
external ones (relationships with banks and Public Administration).’ (I1)
We have chosen to strengthen the e-commerce channel, already present among the
possible purchasing options, but developed in the past especially for higher-end wines less
appreciated by other consumers due to the higher costs that home delivery would have
entailed.’ (I1)
The tools chosen to strengthen the channel took into account the needs identified
by the female team during the telephone contact with old and new customers. We have
intercepted the customers’ need to increase personal relationships abruptly interrupted by lockdowns
and restrictive measures and have added a WhatsApp number to the traditional online sales’ (I1).
This social tool, now widely used among all generations as it is easy to use, has allowed
old and new customers:
- to have direct contact with the company;
- to be guided in their purchases based on specific needs and tastes, and
- to obtain personalized home delivery on time and accurately.
Consumers highly appreciated this “human” profile of the relationship, and, through-
out the lockdown, one staff member was entirely dedicated to the new service.
Social channels (Instagram and Facebook) have played a central role in developing the
renewed marketing strategies by offering a personalized digital service combined with
home delivery.’ (I1)
Table 4illustrates the initiative’s success, in terms of new customers acquired and the
increase in turnover, compared with the corresponding months of the previous year.
Table 4shows that more than 30 percent of the orders processed during the first
months of the lockdown are represented by new customers acquired thanks to the launch
of the new business model. Furthermore, the analysis of the internal accounting made it
possible to observe an increase in turnover of 24% compared with the same period in the
previous year solely through the traditional point of sale.
Various critical drivers of success related to female management emerged from the
interviews: (i) a prompt reaction to the lockdown and the identification of new sales
strategies; (ii) effective communication in disseminating the new model to the board of
directors; and (iii) the availability and welcoming attitude towards the customer, primarily
for orders fulfilled via the new model, which did not allow for tangible contact with the
customer at the point of sale.
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 11 of 18
Table 4. Performance of the digital distribution channel during the lockdown (March–April 2020).
New Business Model
Virtual shop Access Number Traditional store Number of orders
Managed contacts 917 Closed until 3 June 2020 0
Orders processed by telephone 308
Orders processed on WhatsApp 171
Orders processed by email 37
Orders Acquired during the Lockdown
From old customers Number of orders From new customers Number of orders
Orders from card customers (15% discount) 222 Orders from new customers 163
Member/Employee Orders (20% discount) 97
Point of sale (no card) 36
Total orders from old customers 355 Total orders from new
customers 163
Summary of Data on Sales during the First Lockdown (March–April 2020)
Number of orders processed 518 Average order amount EUR 90.18
New customers 163 (from social media
advertising) 96
Increase in turnover thanks to the new
business model (compared with the
traditional store)
+24%
4.4. The Contribution of Female Relationships
From the interviews, the strong personality of the female Q.M. emerged, who, over time,
was able to consolidate old relationships and start new ones, both formal and informal.
The esteem and trust generated by relations with institutional stakeholders (banks,
the Italian Government, the Lazio Region) favored the achievement of different results,
including: (i) the obtaining of loans and facilities; (ii) the adoption of advanced software
for the management of production processes; and (iii) an improvement in relations with
Public Administration and banks.
The company was able to access subsidized bank loans for over 3 billion Euros, provided
for by the subsidy measures arranged by the Italian Government. It also obtained various
non-repayable loans to encourage digitalization and smart working.’ (I3)
Table 5summarizes the loans and subsidy measures obtained by the company thanks
to the skills and abilities of the female Q.M.
Table 5. Partnership with institutional stakeholders during COVID-19.
Facilitation and Support Measures Provided by the Lazio Region (Value in Euros)
Facilitation typology State of request Request Amount
Request Contribution
OCM12020 I.T. system
innovation (software and
hardware)
Admissible but not
financeable due to
a lack of funds
273,932 109,572.80
Facilitation and Support Measures Provided by the Italian Government
Facilitation typology State of request Request Amount
Request Contribution
Disinfection Obtained 7850 7850
Smart Working 2020 Processing 15,000 15,000
Loan moratorium Obtained 600,000 600,000
Replacement and new liquidity Obtained 3,000,000 3,000,000
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 12 of 18
Notably, we identified the following aptitudes: (i) a persuasive capacity; (ii) precision
in loan requests; and (iii) timely identification of the main subsidy measures available.
All of the requested funding was disbursed except for the first (O.C.M.) due to the
unavailability of funds. The projects and requests were processed by the Q.M. and the
(female) supporting administrative staff.
The different stakeholders include consortia and other wineries spread throughout the
Italian territory. The partnerships with them favored the selection of innovative software
to manage production processes and quality control.
Existing relationships were consolidated to obtain the necessary support for choosing the
most appropriate and efficient software (
. . .
). I trusted large consortia in central Italy,
who suggested advanced software to improve the product’s internal control system.’ (I1)
In summary, some results in the process management innovation were obtained thanks
to informal relationships with other companies in the sector.
The interviews revealed a different role of the Q.M.’s skills and attitude in fostering
the company’s resilience.
Over the past year, the board of directors and I have let the Q.M. lead and strengthen
relationships with banks and Public Administration.’ (I2)
At the same time, I1 points out that: ‘I noticed an increase in trust in me, which has favored
the relationships between the company and external stakeholders and my career within the company.
I recently obtained the qualification of quality director, thanks to the results achieved in relationships
with institutions and external lenders’.
In conclusion, we found that the Q.M.’s ability to consolidate stable relationships with
external and internal stakeholders made it possible to: (i) identify commercial and financial
strategies; (ii) innovate production processes using support measures and internal financial
resources; and, consequently, (iii) contain the effects of the crisis.
However, we also noted a substantial opening of the board of directors and the chair-
man (who were all male) and a propensity to leave ample room for female management to
maneuver.
5. Conclusions
The analysis of the case study allowed us to answer our research question: What is women
managers’ contribution to the ability of a firm to overcome the crisis caused by an unexpected shock?
Our results show that female managers significantly contribute to the ability of com-
panies to overcome the crisis (Castiglione et al. 2020;Vasili´c et al. 2020).
In the case analyzed, the interpersonal skills and attitude of the quality manager and
those of the female staff made it possible to: (i) identify innovative marketing strategies; (ii)
introduce technological innovations for the intelligent management of processes; and (iii)
maintain and develop relationships with external institutional stakeholders
(Paoloni 2021
;
Paoloni et al. 2018). Thus, the skills of the female employees allowed the investigated
company to contain the effects of the pandemic crisis.
Our results also highlight the decisive contribution of (male-oriented) corporate
governance in favoring the growth and autonomy of women in positions of responsibility
(Giotopoulos et al. 2017)
. This contribution is evidenced by: (iv) the increasing delegation
of roles and responsibilities in managing relationships with institutional stakeholders to
women managers; and (v) the recognition of women managers’ talents in terms of career
progression (Castiglione et al. 2020).
The results show that female managerial skills have been drivers of critical success
factors both during the management of lockdowns and during the subsequent phase of
progressive reopening. Notably, we found several characteristics and skills attributable to
the female manager fostered organizational resilience: (vi) the attitude to change; (vii) the
ability to promote new initiatives; and (viii) the ability to have initiated, consolidated, and
managed solid formal relationships with institutional stakeholders.
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 13 of 18
Table 6summarizes our main conclusions, highlighting those attributable to the
personal characteristics of management and those relating to professional skills.
Table 6. The primary skills and attitudes of female managers.
Personal Aptitudes (a) Theoretical Framework (a) Professional Skills (b) Theoretical Framework (b)
a strong personality
a persuasive capacity
timeliness
lively intelligence
warmth
relationship skills
the composition of the
individual
characteristics
determines the system’s
potential for resilience
(Page 2014;Bell 2007)
a significant source of
capacity for
organizational resilience
is contained in the
attributes of employees
(Van Der Vegt et al. 2015)
relational capabilities,
trust, and knowledge
play a crucial role in
shaping actions to be
taken immediately and
enabling positive
functioning in the face of
an unexpected shock
(Williams et al. 2017;
Colquitt et al. 2011;
Gittell 2008)
precision
expertise
effective communication
relationship skills
possession of unique
and rare knowledge as
the leading resource for
creating business value
(Belso-Martinez and
Diez-Vial 2018)
the value created by
companies is also based
on the relationships that
the company fosters
(relational capital)
(Johansson 2007)
firms set up and run by
females exhibit a set of
distinctive features
(Bruni et al. 2004;
Paoloni 2021)
This table can be considered a dashboard that summarizes the primary skills and
attitudes of female managers that are helpful to overcoming unexpected shocks. The table
can be used for further studies and comparisons both nationally and internationally. Its
replicability and reliability were determined by the consistency of the results obtained with
the conclusions of relevant previous studies.
Our results contribute to the emerging literature on the strategies companies have
successfully used to face the crisis, offering an original contribution to the theory and
practice on females’ contribution to company resilience.
The originality of this work is twofold. On the one hand, its value is represented by
the survey that aims to determine how the female management of businesses owned by
men can foster the resilience of companies. To the best of our knowledge, previous studies
analyzed these abilities only in firms with female direction and ownership. Our results
show that even in sectors strongly characterized by a male presence, women can emerge
and make a valuable contribution to the company.
On the other hand, this paper investigates the role of women in economic systems from
an original perspective that has previously not been dealt with in the literature. Notably, it
analyzes how female leadership drives organizational resilience during unexpected shocks,
providing an interdisciplinary viewpoint by offering research ideas in other subjects such as
sociology, psychology, and neuroscience. Even if the results have been obtained concerning
an Italian case study, we believe they are of broad international interest and application
because they refer to a general context and the aptitudes and skills of females are not
referable to a local context only.
To reach conclusions with general validity, we chose to analyze a single case study
with broad and deep proprietary connections with other companies in the area. The choice
of the case study was critical since it was an explorative case study. The identified company
is a medium-sized company with extensive links to other companies. It operates in a sector
severely affected by the pandemic crisis (the wine sector). Our findings offer conclusions
Adm. Sci. 2021,11, 129 14 of 18
with general validity on the need for companies to develop “real and virtual” relationships
with external stakeholders and encourage female management.
To obtain more general results, the future phases of our research include a comparison
of the analyzed case study with another case study that is homogeneous in terms of the
sector of activity, size, and territorial context characterized by male management.
A further phase of our research could investigate whether companies in which women
hold roles of responsibility or direction face the crisis more effectively. This stream of
research requires the extension of the sample and the comparison of results obtained in
companies in the same sector managed solely by men and operating in different areas of
the country to consider the impact that cultural aspects can exert. Comparative studies
referring to various countries in Europe and the world would also be of interest.
The scientific value of qualitative analyses lies in investigating aspects that cannot
be observed through quantitative studies. When personal and emotional elements must
be included to explain the results, it is necessary to interview people and learn about the
production realities. Indeed, the crisis prompted by COVID-19 required us to investigate
emotional and reactive aspects not identifiable solely by aggregating data.
Author Contributions:
Conceptualization, A.C. and P.P.; Data curation, A.C.; Formal analysis, A.C.;
Investigation, A.C.; Methodology, P.P.; Supervision, P.P.; Writing—review & editing, A.C. All authors
have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Note
1
The O.C.M. is a non-repayable grant for Italian wineries intended for the technological modernization of and investment in
the cellar. It represents the primary source of financing for wineries. It is promoted by the Agency for Disbursements in
Agriculture (AGEA) and coordinated on a regional basis. The O.C.M. wine calls are announced annually by the Italian Ministry
for Agricultural Policies and derive from the distribution of E.U. funds. Companies highly appreciate these forms because they
are granted quickly, and advances on accepted loans are paid out just as quickly. They have an annual or two-year duration and
provide a non-repayable grant equal to 40% of the investments to be made.
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Purpose Recent socioeconomic events, not least the Covid-19 pandemic, have led farms to rethink their traditional production methods. Innovation, new technologies and the establishment of relationships could be crucial for farms to remain competitive and sustainable over time. These factors can be assumed as structural and relational capital, two of intellectual capital's components. In this stream, the aim of this paper is to analyze how structural and relational capital could contribute to farm's sustainability in terms of competitiveness during its normal life cycle and in terms of resilience during an uncertain period, such as the coronavirus emergency. Design/methodology/approach The paper is supported by the qualitative methodology of a single case study. To reach the declared goal, the paper applies the C.A.O.S. (Characteristics, Ambience, Organizations, Start-up) model, an interpretative model for analyzing the small and medium enterprise dimension. In this way, the main aspects that allowed the farm to be competitive and to react at the emergency period were described. Findings The findings show that innovation technology involved the farm's internal processes, improving execution, control and feedback phases. Thanks to the two main introduced innovations, the farm reduced staffing costs and minimized cultivation risk related to climatic factors. These innovations are the main factors allowing the farm to increase its efficiency. Moreover, the proactive and reactive roles of the structural and relational capital to face the emergency period are confirmed. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature in several ways. Regarding innovation literature, the paper shows how technology helps farms to improve their performance and their global competitiveness. Insight into structural and relational capital enhances the knowledge of intangible assets, such as intellectual capital. In the light of the Covid-19 emergency, the work demonstrates how the main resilience factors (proactive, i.e. structural capital, and reactive, i.e. relational capital) ensure the farm's survival.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the impact that a crisis such as that created by COVID-19 has on entrepreneurs. The authors focus on female entrepreneurs and their ability and propensity to continue their entrepreneurial journey. Design/methodology/approach For each respondent (n = 113), data was collected using an online survey. The survey was distributed in April 2020 during a nationwide lockdown and again in September 2020 as the economy reopened. In completing the survey, respondents were asked a series of multiple-choice questions and a series of open-ended questions. Findings The authors present data characterizing the female entrepreneurs, their experience during a time of crisis and the enablers and disablers to the continuation of their entrepreneurial journey. The key findings that emerge from this study include the resilience of the female entrepreneurs, their willingness to contribute to community-based organizations during a crisis and their desire to seek and receive support from their peers. Originality/value The findings from this study provide novel insights with regard to the resources and strategies used by female entrepreneurs during a time of crisis. The data was collected during two periods of great uncertainty for the entrepreneurs and at times when their availability was extremely limited.