Relational Capital’s Support in Innovating a Female-Run Business: The Case of an Italian Organic Farm

Relational capital (RC) is of utmost importance in all organisations, especially in female-run companies where the role of relationships could contribute to the success of the businesses, due to the female entrepreneurs’ ability to establish and adequately manage them. Another peculiarity of businesswomen is that they are more likely to implement disruptive changes, but to do so, they still need support to realise it effectively. An analysis of the existing literature reveals that no studies have focused on how RC may support innovation in a female-run enterprise. Therefore, the present study attempts to explore what relationships could enable the innovation process. To do so, a female-run Italian firm is examined in a particular and crucial moment of its life—its shift from traditional to organic agriculture. The analysis is performed using the CAOS (C—Caratteristiche personali, A—Ambiente, O—Organizzazione and S—start-up) model (Paoloni, 2021, The C.A.O.S. model. Giappichelli), which allows comprehending and commenting on RC, based on the connection of the typical factors that influence a particular time period. In the present work, it is the moment when the radical change is made.