Facing Global Challenges, Does Business Unique Structure Play a Key Role in Building Resilience – Case of Businesses in Zambia & Mozambique?

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 1 - 9, 30.06.2024

Victor Bahhouth , Georges Wakim , Edwin Mensah

Öz

Paper studies the effect of pandemic on businesses in emerging countries. Global trade was adversely affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world took severe measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus by shutting down all non-essential activities. Businesses were forced to close for a significant period-of-time during years 2020 and 2021; it is of no doubt that pandemic had a severe impact on them. Businesses are different on many dimensions such as type, activity, size, location, structure …etc. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of pandemic on businesses in emerging countries on two dimensions, which are operations (such as sales) and strategies (such as adaptation) using firm’s size as a controlling variable. Study takes the case of businesses in two South African countries: Zambia and Mozambique. Results show businesses hardship in emerging countries was unevenly felt based on size and activity. Business unique structure plays a key role in building resilience in facing global challenges.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pandemic, global risk, business activity, Global challenges & COVID-19

Küresel Zorluklarla Karşı Karşıyayken, İşletmenin Benzersiz Yapısı Direnci Geliştirmede Anahtar Bir Rol Oynuyor mu – Zambiya ve Mozambik'teki İşletmeler Örneği?

Öz

Bu makale, salgının gelişmekte olan ülkelerdeki işletmeler üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. Küresel ticaret, COVID-19 salgınından olumsuz etkilenmiştir. Dünyanın dört bir yanındaki hükümetler, zorunlu olmayan tüm faaliyetleri durdurarak COVID-19 virüsünün yayılmasını durdurmak için ciddi önlemler aldı. 2020 ve 2021 yıllarında işletmeler önemli bir süre kapanmak zorunda kaldı; Kuşkusuz pandemi onları çok ağır etkiledi. İşletmeler türü, faaliyet alanı, büyüklüğü, konumu, yapısı vb. pek çok açıdan farklılık göstermektedir. Bu makalenin amacı, salgının gelişmekte olan ülkelerdeki işletmeler üzerindeki etkisini, firma büyüklüğünü kontrol değişkeni olarak kullanarak operasyonlar (satışlar gibi) ve stratejiler (adaptasyon gibi) olmak üzere iki boyutta incelemektir. Çalışma iki Güney Afrika ülkesindeki işletmeleri ele alıyor: Zambiya ve Mozambik. Sonuçlar, gelişmekte olan ülkelerdeki işletmelerin zorluklarının büyüklük ve faaliyete bağlı olarak eşit olmayan bir şekilde hissedildiğini gösteriyor. İşletmenin benzersiz yapısı, küresel zorluklarla yüzleşmede dayanıklılığın geliştirilmesinde önemli bir rol oynar.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pandemi, Küresel risk, İş aktivitesi, Küresel zorluklar ve COVID-19

Kaynakça

• African Development Bank (ADB), 2023. African Economic Outlook 2023. https://www.afdb.org/en/countries/southern-africa
• Aswad A., Yingkai T., and Jasim T. (2020). Unveiling the Effectiveness of Agency Cost and firms’ Size as Moderators Between CSR Disclosures and Firms’ Growth. Frontiers in Psychology, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01624. published: 13 August 2020.
• Betho, R., Chelengo, M., Jones, S., Keller, M., Mussagy, I. H., van Seventer, D., & Tarp, F. (2022). The macroeconomic impact of COVID‐19 in Mozambique: A social accounting matrix approach. Journal of International Development, 34(4), 823-860. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3601
• Brand, Blaese, R., Weber, G., & Winistoerfer, H. (2022). Changes in corporate responsibility management during COVID-19 crisis and their effects on business resilience: An empirical study of Swiss and German companies. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 14(7), 4144–. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074144
• Caballero-Morales, S. O. (2021). Innovation as recovery strategy for SMEs in emerging economies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research in International Business and Finance, 57, 101396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2021.101396
• Carnevale, & Hatak, I. (2020). Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management. Journal of Business Research, 116, 183–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.037
• Carroll, A. B. (2021). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the COVID-19 pandemic: Organizational and managerial implications. Journal of Strategy and Management, 14(3), 315-330. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-07-2021-0145
• Donthu, N. & Gustafsson, A. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 284–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.008
• Mwaanga, C., Mulenga, J., Lubinda, M., Siame, M., Kaliba-Chishimba, K., Mulenga, M. C., & Kafula, C. S. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Operations in Zambia. Journal of Business Administration Research, 10(1), 32-40. https://doi.org/10.5430/jbar.v10n1p32
• Sheth, J. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behavior: Will the old habits return or die?. Journal of business research, 117, 280-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.059
• United Nations Development Program. (2020). Business survey report: The impact of Covid-19 on Zambian enterprises. https://enhancedif.org/en/system/files/uploads/business_survey_report_zambia.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=6064
• World Bank. (2021)., How COVID-19 is affecting companies around the world. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2021/02/17/how-covid-19is-affecting-companies-around-the-world