Entrepreneurship Research in Times of COVID-19: Experiences from South America

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had diverse effects on the population and businesses. Due to their low visibility, there is a significant knowledge gap for the scientific community regarding the situation of South American entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this systematic review aims to answer the following research questions: What scientific evidence is available on entrepreneurship in South America during the COVID-19 pandemic? From which countries do the studies originate? What conclusions do they present, and what lessons can be learned from them? The Scopus and Scielo databases were explored in this systematic review. Due to the diversity of languages in which articles from this region are published, searches were conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. In each case, we searched for results containing the words COVID-19 and entrepreneurship (emprendimiento in Spanish, empreendedorismo in Portuguese) in the title, abstract, or keywords. The initial search produced 783 records, which were filtered based on seven criteria, resulting in 15 articles. The final articles identified had corresponding authors affiliated with South American institutions. We conclude that, in South America, some entrepreneurs recognize the importance of maintaining the economic stability of their employees and communities in addition to sustaining their businesses. Their actions serve as case studies of resilience and perseverance in adverse circumstances.

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on West Romanian Crop Production in 2020

“…The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health crisis had an enormous impact on the global economy at all scales and in all sectors, with disruptions affecting most types of economic activity [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12], including related sectors such as logistics, transport, and energy [13][14][15][16]24]. While tourism and related activities, including food services, were most affected [20][21][22][23][24], agriculture was affected to varying degrees, depending on the scale, type, and nature of production and geographical location .…”

“…Entrepreneurship and self-employment in South America showed great resilience, with the ability to virtualise their business, suggesting that the economic stability of employees and their communities is as important as the business itself [8]. Evidence from the top 10 affected countries showed that financial asset markets suffered, while real asset markets remained more stable, with trade and travel affecting the oil market [9].…”

Entrepreneurial Factors Influencing Recovery from Covid-19: A Country-Level Analysis

“…In response to changing conditions, many entrepreneurs have redirected their operations toward new markets. Previous studies have underscored that entrepreneurs who managed to adapt to these new ecosystem rules and targeted their businesses toward new markets were able to survive the crisis and maintain their market positions [27][28][29][30].…”

Relationship-based marketing and its influence on customer loyalty in a commercial company, Bellavista, 2022

“…During the COVID-19 confinement, as sales were affected, some companies neglected to maintain constant communication or foster relationships with their customers. It is known that during those times, many ventures had to change the way they conducted business [1], [2], [3].…”