From growth goals to proactive organizational resilience: first evidence in women-led and non-women-led Italian wineries

In a fast-changing world, characterized by evenly unexpected challenges and shocks, being resilient is a crucial aspect for every organization. Drawing from the goal setting theory and the double standards of competence perspective, this study aims at understanding the antecedents of organizational proactive resilience. More precisely, it looks at the impact of quantitative and qualitative organizational growth goals on proactive resilience, distinguishing between women-led and non-women-led firms. Based on a unique sample of 167 Italian wineries (67 women-led and 100 non-women-led), this paper tests this theoretical model using path analysis techniques. The wine sector is a particularly interesting context to study the phenomenon due to its exposure to natural disasters, new consumers’ behaviours that are requiring firms to continuously innovate and differentiate in a traditionally low-tech sector, but also changes happening at wineries’ management level. In fact, the sector has been traditionally male dominated, but women are increasingly taking the lead. The findings indicate that growth goals differently contribute to proactive organizational resilience, but their effects vary in women- and non-women-led businesses. Specifically, these results suggest that in women-led wineries, proactive organizational resilience depends on quantitative growth goals while in non-women-led wineries businesses this depends on qualitative growth goals.