Knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship and performance during the crisis: cases of the Greek wood industry

Abstract

The study approaches the relationship between knowledge–intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) in low–tech, traditional sectors and environmental instability from the perspective of the long severe financial crisis in Greece, which led to a drastic economic downturn. The empirical study builds on a qualitative approach of four case studies of the wood industry in Greece. The analysis sheds light on how KIE affects performance in unstable environments by explaining and enhancing understanding of the connections between knowledge–intensiveness, innovation, competitive advantage and performance during the crisis period. Implications for theory and practice culminate in suggestions for future research.