Startups in times of crisis – A rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Investigating the emerging COVID-19 research trends in the field of business and management: A bibliometric analysis approach

The objective of this study was to analyze how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cope with environmental changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic by pursuing the business model transformation with the support of digital technologies. To achieve the objective, this study used a multiple case study design with qualitative analysis to examine the data obtained from interviews, observation, and field visits. Seven manufacturing SMEs from Indonesia were selected using a theoretical sampling technique, with the purpose of achieving some degree of variation to allow us to undertake replication logic. Our analysis demonstrates that SMEs adopt a different degree of digital transformations, which can be summarized into three paths, depending on the firms’ contextual factors. First, SMEs with a high level of digital maturity who respond to the challenges by accelerating the transition toward digitalized firms; second, SMEs experiencing liquidity issues but a low level of digital maturity who decide to digitalize the sales function only; and, third, the SMEs that have very limited digital literacy but are supported by a high level of social capital. This last group of firms solves the challenges by finding partners who possess excellent digital capabilities. The qualitative case study method allows us to conduct in-depth and detailed analysis, but has thin generalizability. To address this limitation, future research can use a survey covering various industries to test the proposed theory that has resulted from this study, so that the generalizability can be assured.

Identifying Digital Transformation Paths in the Business Model of SMEs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19, aftermath, impacts, and hospitality firms: An international perspective

The purpose of this commentary article is to focus on how the covid-19 crisis has affected cultural, lifestyle, and social entrepreneurship. In doing so, I address the current lack of integration b...

Coronavirus (covid-19) and entrepreneurship: changing life and work landscape

Taking stock of what has been achieved in a particular research field, where a field currently stands, and where it might move to in the near future is an important undertaking. In this research brief, we present the results of a survey of 225 experienced entrepreneurship researchers who shared their insights on a) what topical areas are currently important in entrepreneurship research and b) what methods might be especially useful to provide interesting and relevant answers to old and new research questions. The results suggest no dramatic differences in the relevance of topics compared to our original survey conducted five years ago (Kuckertz 2013), but do indicate that the field is moving forward in terms of methods by embracing the “gold standard” of academic rigor inspired by the natural sciences (e.g., experimental designs) and by considering methods that make it possible to capture the complexity of entrepreneurial phenomena.

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What’s hot in entrepreneurship research 2018?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how Germans' misperceptions of the nature of entrepreneurship influence their attitudes towards entrepreneurial failure Design/methodology/approachAdopting a multivariate regression analysis, the study used data collected from a commercial online market research panel (N = 2,027) reflecting the overall German working population Attitudinal items on business failure were used to measure the study variables The study controlled for age, education, employment status, gender, income, whether the respondent knows a failed entrepreneur and the German federal state in which the respondent resides FindingsThe findings suggest that reservations about failed entrepreneurs become stronger as misperceptions of the nature of entrepreneurship worsen The results also show that failure reservations vary regionally over the 16 German federal states Practical implicationsNationwide efforts regarding the stimulation of entrepreneurship and the acceptance of entrepreneurial failure are insufficient for removing failure reservations, as they neglect regional cultural differences The results suggest that it is not enough just to invest in efforts to create a failure-friendly culture, and that a better general education about the realities of entrepreneurship is a prerequisite Originality/valueThe study generates insights into how the overall population in an innovation-driven economy perceives entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial failure Moreover, the work delves into the reasons why parts of German society reject failed entrepreneurs Hence, this study can aid the drafting of effective policy initiatives at the regional and national levels

/pdf/misperception-of-entrepreneurship-and-its-consequences-for-2klcjx4c3k.pdf

Misperception of entrepreneurship and its consequences for the perception of entrepreneurial failure – the German case

Research summary: The discovery of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the spread of COVID-19 have led many governments to take drastic measures. The lockdown of large parts of society and economic life has come as an exogenous shock to many economic actors, not least innovative startups. This rapid response research combines a qualitative research design informed by entrepreneurial ecosystem actors with an analysis of policy measures called for, announced, and reportedly implemented in the international press. Interviews from an entrepre-neurial ecosystem offer a first-hand account of the adversity startups face during a crisis and how by utilizing bricolage responses they cope, and the analysis of policy measures can serve as an inspiration to design support initiatives to protect startups from the consequences of the current lockdown and to alleviate the effects of future crises.

Managerial summary: The lockdown measures as a response to the spread of the new corona-virus threaten the existence of many innovative startups. Our rapid response research first illus-trates the challenges entrepreneurs face as a consequence of the crisis. Second, we illustrate how entrepreneurs are dealing with the effects of the crisis and what they are doing to protect their ventures. Finally, we present measures that could be utilized by policymakers to assist entrepreneurs facing challenges. The research conducted suggests that while startups are suc-cessfully leveraging their available resources as a first response to the crisis, their growth and innovation potential are at risk. Therefore, policy measures should not only provide first aid to startups by alleviating the pressure caused by constrained cashflow, but also involve long-term measures embedded in and supported by the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem to ensure rapid recovery and growth.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID3580647_code370366.pdf?abstractid=3580647&mirid=1

Startups in Times of Crisis – A Rapid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT The positive evaluation by society of entrepreneurs as a social group is hugely important because it determines that group’s legitimacy. However, researchers have tended to neglect the role of society in social evaluations and also that constructing them is a multilevel process. This knowledge gap has prompted us to investigate how entrepreneurs are perceived and evaluated (1) from the societal perspective, (2) from the entrepreneurs’ own perspective on entrepreneurial identity, and (3) from the entrepreneurs’ perspective on society’s views on them. We contribute to the literature by proposing a model that connects entrepreneur identities and the social evaluations of entrepreneurs. The multilevel and cross-level analysis of the evaluations of entrepreneurs linked to the individual and social entrepreneur identities reveal inconsistencies and potential trade-offs. We base this analysis primarily on a sorting study of visual representations of entrepreneurs published in the media. Although the entrepreneurs perceive the entrepreneurial identity more positively and seriously than society in general, they do not construct visual representations to convey this positive identity to the public. Finally, the results underscore the usefulness of visual analyses in revealing stereotypes.

Alicia Prochotta

Papers

Startups in times of crisis – A rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic

What’s hot in entrepreneurship research 2018?

Misperception of entrepreneurship and its consequences for the perception of entrepreneurial failure – the German case

Startups in Times of Crisis – A Rapid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aiming for legitimacy but perpetuating clichés – Social evaluations of the entrepreneurial identity