ABSTRACT
The paper presents the impact of COVID 19 on small-and medium-sized enterprises and the survival initiatives based on the owners' perspectives. The authors focused on plastic packaging small and medium size producers working in Egypt as a case study. The study applies qualitative approach conducted through phone-based interviews with five selected SMEs' and also supported by desk research and followed by three experts' interviews with professionals working at the ministry of environment in Egypt. The paper finds that SMEs working in the plastic packaging in Egypt were hit significantly by COVID-19. The impacts of COVID 19 on SMEs are classified into operational problems and financial problems. Regarding operational problems, the number of paid employees and the total number of hours worked by paid employees were reduced by 50%. And in terms of production, clear disruption in the supply chain occurred. Regarding financials, they have limited cash on hand, yet they did not apply for a loan to cover their expenses and preferred to temporarily reduce production. This paper represents one of the first attempts to closely assess the impact of COVID-19 on Egyptian SMEs working in plastic packaging. The assessment considers various aspects including employment, production, supply chain, financials, and the outlook to capture the full potential cost of COVID-19. It also discusses the solid waste plan (2019-2023) and how the government can support the green initiatives related to plastic recycling. The results show that fiscal and monetary measures taken by the Egyptian government were not perceived as the ultimate support desired by SMEs in this specific industry. They wanted more tailored programs addressing their specific needs. © 2021 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this empirical article is identifying and showing the key challenges and core problems faced by private universities with international affiliation, located in west Cairo, when applying online educational learning in the context of COVID-19. As well, it aims to assist in assembling the lessons learned to maximize the learning impact. a mixed-methods approach was used and it included: (1) observations complemented with five in-depth interviews with experienced faculty members and decision-makers (2) followed by a survey to comprehend the drivers of students’ satisfaction concerning online education throughout COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 200 replies were collected from two universities, located in west Cairo. A literature review was conducted to validate the research constructs and to support drafting the recommendations. The results show that faculty members have identified five challenges, which are: (1) course design, (2) instructor quality, (3) assessment techniques, (4) technology and e-learning platforms, and (5) students’ attitude. The survey results have proved that the first four challenges are drivers of student satisfaction, especially the assessment techniques. A list of recommendations was proposed based on the previously mentioned challenges. This was the first survey that targeted students at private universities in Cairo post- COVID-19 pandemic. The findings will be useful for preparing short to long term strategic plan focusing on blended techniques. © 2020 IEEE.