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The dynamic of the business environment has escalated the competition and uncertainty, which is challenging business survivability, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs attract researchers due to their unique characteristics that have limited resources but great flexibility and adaptability. Furthermore, Collaborative Networks (CNs) have been proposed by business scholars as a critical strategy to gain resilience and antifragility. However, the concept of antifragility and its relation with CNs is still vague in the SME sector. Therefore, this study aims to develop a complete understanding regarding: (1) the emerging knowledge that is critical in explaining antifragility in the business sector based on co-citation and thematic analysis; (2) the relation between resilience and antifragility in emerging business research; (3) the relation between CNs and antifragility in emerging business research and (4) a framework of antifragility in the SME context.

Bibliographic Analysis and Systematic Literature Review are performed to reach the research objectives. We use co-citation and thematic analysis to identify the map of emerging knowledge and the related concepts, which are the fundamentals of antifragility. Furthermore, we use a systematic literature review to determine the relation of antifragility, resilience and CNs in the SME context.

Antifragility is a higher level of survivability compared to resilience. Antifragile SMEs could gain an advantage from the uncertain business environment. However, both in resilience and antifragility, SMEs should become active learners. Furthermore, CNs are proposed as the gateway for SMEs to manage their resource limitations. The conceptual framework of Antifragile SMEs is presented as the theoretical contribution of this manuscript.

This article explains the knowledge structure of antifragility in the business sector, particularly among SMEs. Based on bibliometric data, we describe critical characteristics or mental states entrepreneurs should have when facing uncertainty. Furthermore, we propose a conceptual framework for antifragile SMEs where active learning and positive psychology are the pillars, and CNs are critical ingredients of antifragility in SMEs.

The postponement principle concerns defining when and where value is added, usually referring to hardware components for physical products. However, in modern supply chains, software’s importance is increasing, impacting the timing and location of value-adding operations. Lacking insights into software-driven implications for postponement, we aim at elaborating on the postponement principle by contextualizing its evolution when integrating different objects (i.e. hardware and software).

We adopted an abductive approach to elaborate on the existing knowledge with original empirical insights. A single-case study with four subcases allowed us to explore postponement dimensions in the context of a global high-tech enterprise offering products that integrate hardware and software objects. As global supply chains involve multiple jurisdictions with heterogeneous regulations, we also analyzed in depth the emerging fiscal and legal implications.

Besides where and when value is added, the study illustrates that deciding who (i.e. what legal entity) is carrying out what operation on what kind of object is highly important. Moreover, fiscal and legal implications for the various legal entities strongly depend on what operations are executed and in which jurisdiction (where). The study identifies critical interrelationships among postponement dimensions when integrating hardware and software objects, highlighting the importance of understanding and managing their reciprocity with the emerging fiscal and legal risks.

We elaborate on the postponement principle by contextualizing its applications when integrating hardware and software objects in global supply chains, which include multiple jurisdictions. By formalizing the impact of the who dimension, the study contributes to developing the interorganizational perspective for postponement. Moreover, it extends the traditional cost perspective for postponement beyond the trade-off between responsiveness and cost-efficiency, suggesting that firms applying global postponement should extend their focus to also examine fiscal and legal risks for all the legal entities involved.