What is it about?
This study identifies entrepreneurial commitment and perseverance as mechanisms for resolving a core business tension of microbusinesses which the COVID-19 crisis accentuated. This study helps to understanding when and how sustaining community relationships may be a valid entrepreneurial strategy for microbusinesses for the long-term survival, success, and performance.
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Why is it important?
The paper highlights the community-oriented behaviour of microbusiness owners and managers in economic crises by explaining why microbusinesses may only choose to engage in new activities during economic crises. During these periods, maintaining local relationships governs the behaviour of microentrepreneurs who are integrated into the social and economic fabric of their community. In contrast to non-critical periods when businesses normally make decisions based on financial rationality, the sampled microbusinesses prioritised local community social welfare over financial rationality because of the significant social and economic effects of this decision in their continuing support from their local community who are their only customers.
Perspectives
A possible explanation for microbusiness community-oriented behaviour may be that as the survival of microbusinesses is entwined with the well-being of local communities, microbusinesses saw the continuation of their business activities as a moral obligation to serve their respective local communities during the COVID-19 crisis. In this explanation, there may be a strategic business outcome of their activity during lockdown when the continuing activities of microbusinesses during the crisis served as a public demonstration of their commitment as socially responsible actors.
Muhibul Haq
University of Worcester
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Microentrepreneurial commitment and perseverance in local communities during the COVID-19 crisis, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, March 2025, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/ijebr-12-2023-1324.
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