This paper examines how political conflict shapes entrepreneurial activities, with a particular focus on Occupied Palestinian Territories. It focuses on the resilience and adaptability of entrepreneurs in conflict zones and the dual role of entrepreneurship in potentially exacerbating or alleviating conflicts. This paper adopts an integrative literature review with a structured approach. It combines elements of both systematic and integrative reviews to survey and synthesize the management and entrepreneurship literature to assess the impact of political conflict on entrepreneurial activity and vice versa, necessity versus opportunity entrepreneurship, and the role of entrepreneurship in peacebuilding. The findings reveal that while entrepreneurship can be a powerful engine for growth and innovation, its role in conflict settings is complex and requires careful consideration of the sociopolitical context. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for supporting entrepreneurship in conflict-affected regions and suggests directions for future research to inform practices and contribute to sustainable peace and economic development.

This study investigates the relationship between Effective Strategic Alliances (ESA) and Competitive Advantage among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in resource-constrained environments. Situated in the West Bank, Palestine, where family ownership is highly prevalent among SMEs and political and economic conditions are uncertain, the study examines whether strategic alliances facilitate external resource acquisition and whether these resources contribute to competitive advantage. ESA is conceptualized as a formative higher-order construct comprising Relational Quality, Resource Complementarity, and Agility. Using a quantitative, deductive approach, we analyzed data from 262 Palestinian SMEs using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that ESA is significantly associated with Resource Acquisition and Competitive Advantage. Resource Acquisition mediates the relationship between ESA and Competitive Advantage, while Environmental Uncertainty moderates the link between ESA and Resource Acquisition, highlighting the importance of alliances under high uncertainty. These findings provide an integrated framework for SME managers, particularly in family-business contexts, and policymakers to leverage collaborative strategies for economic resilience and performance in challenging environments.

Societal disruptions have ceased to be exceptional events around which organizations can plan temporary responses