Business continuity and planning effectiveness: An empirical analysis of Italian manufacturing SMEs

Abstract

For decades many researchers have studied companies' crisis and insolvency forecasting based on economic and financial indexes. However, little attention has been devoted to companies' organisational structure in setting up favourable conditions in which firms can continue their activities without having to initiate an alert procedure as well as effectively achieve the objectives forecasted. This is even more important when considering the introduction of Legislative Decree N. 14/2019, which underlines the importance of implementing a structure suitable for guaranteeing a company's development. This study aims to investigate whether organisational, administrative and accounting structures affect business continuity and planning effectiveness. To this end, the study has adopted a quantitative approach. This paper provides insights into a new management control approach. SMEs should adopt a more structured management approach, driven by an effective company information system able to timely detect the emergence of a crisis and the uncertainty of business continuity.