Collaboration among micro and small firms in a traditional industry

Academic research emphasizes numerous benefits that businesses could gain from collaborating. However, studies also report many existing knowledge gaps. In considering various elements of the theory of collaboration, the present exploratory study contributes to the extant collaboration, micro and small business, and wine research literature, investigating the extent to which winery operators of these largely exporting firms collaborate and share resources. Differences were evaluated between these measurements and demographic characteristics of participants and wineries. Overall, the findings revealed modest levels of collaboration and sharing resources. Participants highlighted restaurants and other wineries as most preferred collaborating partners, while taking part in events, experiences, and promotional activities were predominant ways of sharing resources. Statistically significant differences were observed, particularly based on wineries’ size; also, associations between the findings and elements pertaining to the theory of collaboration were identified. Overall, the findings have important implications, also for wineries with an exporting focus.