Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues (Mar 2023)
Entrepreneurs' concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and enterprise’s sustainable development
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic, both in terms of its scale and impact on the economy and society, was a surprise to everyone and raised many concerns for entrepreneurs. Some of these concerns materialized while others did not, but still, these concerns impacted entrepreneurs' more conservative attitudes, seeking savings or limiting activities. This study aimed to answer whether entrepreneurs' concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business have affected the sustainable development of enterprises – did it stop or limit the social and environmental activities of small and medium enterprises in Poland? To answer this question 177 interviews among owners and senior executives were conducted in September 2020, using the CATI method. The study results have shown that entrepreneurs' concerns about the pandemic did not negatively affect enterprises' sustainable development. Moreover, the study's results did not confirm a statistically significant correlation between the materialization of pandemic-related concerns and enterprises' sustainable development.