Stress and resilience to migrant entrepreneur-managers of small and medium enterprises during COVID-19 pandemic
Benchmarking: An International Journal
ISSN: 1463-5771
Article publication date: 20 June 2023
Issue publication date: 5 July 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate the stressors faced by migrant entrepreneur-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their resilience strategies for reviving their businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a qualitative research design based on grounded theory. Semi-structured interview questionnaire was used for one-to-one interviews with 20 migrant entrepreneur-managers, representing ten different business sectors during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Interviews were transcribed, coded into open code, axial code and selective code to identify the major themes, and analysis was done into three levels to explore the stressors and initial strategies implemented to cope with the crisis. Trustworthiness of the findings was ensured by credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability, and reflexivity.
Findings
This study explored three types of stressors: finance-related stressors, supplies-related stressors and human resources-related stressors in migrant SME entrepreneur-managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed the use of comprehensive supply chain strategies followed by migrant SME entrepreneur-managers to be resilient enough to cope with a crisis situation like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
This study covers an under-researched area of research related to stressors and resilience strategies in migrant SME entrepreneur-managers during the pandemic situation. A large body of prior research contributes to employees' stress and coping behaviors, while this paper focuses on stressors in migrant entrepreneur-managers in the special context of pandemics and their strategies to be resilient during a crisis situation. Thus, the findings of this study contribute to SME entrepreneur-managers, policy makers and academicians so that a large number of migrant entrepreneurs can develop resilient strategies for crisis situations. Furthermore, this study contributes to the supply chain resilience literature and resource dependency theory.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was conducted at a mean time of intense COVID-19 pandemic so the authors extend their sincere gratitude to all the respondents from migrant SMEs entrepreneur-managers and bankers for their active participation in the research, even during their difficult time of professional survival. The authors extend sincere gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. At the meanwhile, the authors admire the encouragement of Tribhuvan University.
Citation
Gautam, D.K. and Gautam, P.K. (2024), "Stress and resilience to migrant entrepreneur-managers of small and medium enterprises during COVID-19 pandemic", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 31 No. 6, pp. 2129-2150. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-06-2022-0400
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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