The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
ISSN: 1462-6004
Article publication date: 3 December 2021
Issue publication date: 15 July 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour of small business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six small business leaders from various sectors to explore and better grasp the unprecedented phenomenon. An online survey on small business owners and managers in Indonesia was then employed as the main study, resulting in 291 valid responses for further analysis. The data were analysed using regression on SmartPLS 3.0 software.
Findings
This research finds that organisational mindfulness and social learning have positive and significant associations with the ability of small business leaders to discover and exploit opportunities. The path analysis suggests that organisational mindfulness plays a pivotal role as it also partially mediates the relationship between social learning and opportunistic behaviour.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This work also contributes by emphasising the critical linkages between internal and external capabilities triggered by small business leaders to survive the pandemic.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This research was funded by Universitas Gadjah Mada under a research grant number 577/UN1.P.III/KPT/HUKOR/2020 for the mitigation and management of COVID-19 pandemic.
Citation
Lusiantoro, L., Purwanto, B.M. and Rostiani, R. (2022), "The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic", Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 627-644. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-02-2021-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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