Agile Leadership, Risk Management Training, and SME Performance: The Mediating Role of Adaptive Business Resilience

Evi Selvi (Universitas Jenderal Soedirman)
Agus Suroso (UNIVERSITAS JENDERAL SOEDIRMAN)
Adi Indrayanto (UNIVERSITAS JENDERAL SOEDIRMAN)

Fundamental and Applied Management Journal
Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): September

Local coffee SMEs operate in an environment characterized by market uncertainty, resource constraints, and changing customer demands, making leadership agility and risk management capabilities increasingly important for maintaining business performance. Limited empirical research has examined how Agile Leadership and Risk Management Training contribute to SME Performance through Adaptive Business Resilience. This study therefore examines the relationships among Agile Leadership, Risk Management Training, Adaptive Business Resilience, and SME Performance among local coffee SMEs in Central Java, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using purposive sampling involving 227 owners and managers of eligible local coffee SMEs. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping procedures. The findings indicate that Agile Leadership is positively associated with Adaptive Business Resilience (β = 0.553, 95% CI [0.431, 0.666]), while Risk Management Training also shows a positive association with Adaptive Business Resilience (β = 0.403, 95% CI [0.278, 0.523]). Adaptive Business Resilience is positively associated with SME Performance (β = 0.279, 95% CI [0.138, 0.411]). Risk Management Training has a significant direct association with SME Performance (β = 0.685, 95% CI [0.572, 0.783]), whereas the direct association between Agile Leadership and SME Performance is not significant (β = 0.076, 95% CI [-0.041, 0.181]). The indirect effects through Adaptive Business Resilience are significant for both Agile Leadership (β = 0.154, 95% CI [0.071, 0.243]) and Risk Management Training (β = 0.112, 95% CI [0.049, 0.181]). These findings indicate that Adaptive Business Resilience represents an important mechanism linking Agile Leadership and Risk Management Training with SME Performance. The study contributes empirical evidence on resilience-based pathways in local coffee SMEs while recognizing the limitations associated with its cross-sectional design and purposive sampling.