The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

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.

Netnography Analysis of Consumer Sentiment Towards Panic Buying In The Early Period of the COVID-19 Virus Spread

COVID-19 has not only an impact on health aspects but also other issues, including the economy. At times of crisis that is full of challenges, individuals who prefer to compelled to do what needs to protected from the negativity caused by the disaster. One who managed to save himself in times of crisis caused a panic of buying that happens a lot in retail stores. Companies must study the efforts made by buyers related to panic buying that is happening around them. Companies can explore these insights through sentiments formed from social media user posts on social media platforms. This research explores consumer sentiment related to panic purchases using qualitative analysis with NVivo software. The results of a study of 647 posts on Twitter microblogging revealed that panic buying contained negative attitude. Based on the results of this analysis, there are tactical steps that can be taken by companies in supporting individual efforts to protect themselves from losses caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.