| Title: | Stress-testing Slovenian SME resilience |
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| Authors: | ID Logožar, Klavdij (Author)
ID Loubser Strydom, Carin (Other) |
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| Files: |  https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/2/828
 RAZ_Logozar_Klavdij_2026.pdf (633,90 KB)
MD5: 44AE7AE72DFE99D4622552568D691B54
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| Language: | English |
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| Work type: | Scientific work |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: | EPF - Faculty of Business and Economics
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| Abstract: | Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in employment and regional economic development, yet they are highly vulnerable to shocks such as pandemics, energy price spikes, and supply chain disruptions. Scenario modelling, stress testing, and digital twins are used to assess resilience, yet most applications focus on large firms in single-country settings. This article develops a model to stress test the resilience of Slovenian SMEs, calibrated with parameters and mechanisms derived from South African SME resilience studies. A system dynamics model with stocks for cash, inventory, and productive capacity is specified and subjected to demand, supply, financial, and compound shock scenarios, with and without resilience measures such as liquidity buffers, customer and supplier diversification, and basic digital planning capabilities. Results indicate non-linear tipping points where small reductions in liquidity sharply increase the likelihood of distress, and show that combinations of liquidity, diversification, and collaborative supply chain practices reduce the depth and duration of output losses. The study demonstrates how evidence from an African context can inform resilience strategies in a small European economy and provides a transparent, portable modelling architecture that can be adapted to other settings. Implications are discussed for SME managers and for policies supporting sustainable, resilient enterprise ecosystems. |
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| Keywords: | SME resilience, scenario modelling, stress-testing, system dynamics, digital twins, South Africa, Slovenia, supply chain risk, sustainable enterprise ecosystems |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Submitted for review: | 27.11.2025 |
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| Article acceptance date: | 08.01.2026 |
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| Publication date: | 12.01.2026 |
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| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
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| Number of pages: | str. 1-19 |
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| Numbering: | Vol. 18, issue 2, spec. iss., [art. no.] 828 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DKUM-96949  |
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| UDC: | 338.2:502.131.1 |
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| ISSN on article: | 2071-1050 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 267454979 |
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| DOI: | 10.3390/su18020828 |
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| Publication date in DKUM: | 05.02.2026 |
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| Views: | 271 |
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| Downloads: | 11 |
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| Metadata: |    |
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| Categories: | Misc.
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