The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Purchasing Priorities of Generation X and Y Consumers

This paper presents the second part of the research conducted at Riga Technical University aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Y (Gen Y) consumer behavior and purchasing priorities. While the changes in consumer behavior have already been analyzed and published earlier [1], the changes in purchasing priorities which might have caused changes in consumer behavior, are going to be studied in this work. The choice of these two generations is not made randomly;on the contrary, it was an intentional selection among other consumers, as they make a very active and prominent part of buyers all over the world. The research methods used are comparative descriptive analysis, Chi-square test and qualitative content analysis of data collected in an electronic survey of respondents from Asia, Europe, and America. The findings show that statistically significant differences between the changes in purchasing priorities of both generations are found for: meat and dairy products, fruit & vegetables, non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, clothes & shoes, body care & cosmetics, entertainment (pay TV services, computer games, etc.) and transport. Altogether, purchasing priorities of Gen X consumers were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic less than Gen Y consumers. Copyright 2022. © by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics. All rights reserved.

Changes in Generations X and y Consumer Behavior Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study analyses the changes in consumer behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The emphasis is laid on the comparative analysis of respondents of highly active purchasing ages who represent Generation X (39-58) and Generation Y (18- 38). The set of research methods used in this study consists of comparative descriptive analysis, qualitative content analysis, and Chi-square test of quantitative and qualitative data collected in an electronic survey of 982 respondents from different countries of Asia and Europe. It was revealed that the main changes in consumer behavior are conditioned by personal finances and safety & health related measures intensified during the pandemic. © by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics.

Organizing studies entrepreneurially to adjust inner and outer worlds during COVID-19

This research aims to analyze the effect of a five-stage strategy elaborated within the Erasmus+ project FOrSE (Framework for Organizing Studies Entrepreneurially) realized by three EU universities. The strategy was integrated into a study course of Pedagogy to enhance entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviors of first-year international Master students who did not have any opportunity for face-to-face studies because of the quarantine. The key focus of the strategy is to promote students' ability to analyze the problems facing them during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify and/or realize new opportunities in the face of the worries and uncertainty. The qualitative content analysis of the Master students' reflections and the analysis of the challenges faced, and new opportunities identified and/or realized showed that they tried to adjust their inner world to the events which take place in the outer world for gaining selfconfidence and achieving harmony. Copyright © 2021 by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics.

Putting into action crisis-driven business solutions during COVID-19 pandemic

This research was conducted within the National Research project "ReCOVery - LV"for exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Latvian companies, specifically analyzing in this paper the range of emotions experienced by the Latvian companies and the new solutions they elaborated and realized to overcome the crisis despite the shock and stress. The qualitative content analysis of the feedback from 334 companies revealed their anxiety combined with the emotions of fear, anger and sadness, including six more emotions which present these three basic emotions' different levels of intensity. Although, being in this negative emotional state, some of the companies managed to increase their revenues introducing new products and services, creating new sales channels and attracting new clients, digitalize processes and achieve cost savings. Copyright © 2021 by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics.