IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jjrfmx/v16y2023i3p142-d1076087.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Syrian SMEs in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptation, and Policy Measures

Author

Listed:
  • Bana Abdulmajid Akkad

    (Faculty of Economics, Hama University, Hama, Syria)

  • Sulaiman Mouselli

    (Faculty of Business Administration, Arab International University, Daraa, Syria)

Abstract

SMEs constitute the backbone of the Syrian economy and have suffered manifold challenges due to the continuous Syrian war. COVID-19 added further pressures on Syrian SMEs and forced them to take certain adaptation strategies to survive. This paper aims to investigate the main challenges that face Syrian SMEs during the pandemic and illustrate how they respond to adversities that emerged from governmental intervention to control the spread of the virus. It also discusses the measures initiated by the government to support SMEs during the pandemic. Through interviewing persons from the Syrian SMEs’ ecosystem, we find that high interest rates on SMEs’ loans decline on demand as well as high inflation represent the main challenges. SMEs respond to these challenges by marketing products online, stock procurement, and strengthening connections with stakeholders. We recommend the Syrian authorities reduce lending rates and increase loan sizes available to SMEs to help them overcome the pandemic adversities. Innovative sources of funding, such as venture capital and equity partnerships, could reduce the funding costs of SMEs. Moreover, SMEs will immensely benefit from training in digital tools to enhance their expansion and survival opportunities. Furthermore, bazaars should be organized during the year to give SMEs the opportunity to gain continuous access to markets. In addition, incubation services should be revised, particularly to SMEs with great potential to grow, to create the suitable environment for them to scale and flourish.

Suggested Citation

  • Bana Abdulmajid Akkad & Sulaiman Mouselli, 2023. "Syrian SMEs in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Adaptation, and Policy Measures," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:16:y:2023:i:3:p:142-:d:1076087
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/16/3/142/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/16/3/142/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lee, Neil & Sameen, Hiba & Cowling, Marc, 2015. "Access to finance for innovative SMEs since the financial crisis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 370-380.
    2. Gregory, Gary & Harvie, Charles & Lee, Hyun-Hoon, 2002. "Korean SMEs in the Wake of the Financial Crisis: Strategies, Constraints and Performance in a Global Economy," Economics Working Papers wp02-12, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
    3. Nicholas Bloom & Robert S. Fletcher & Ethan Yeh, 2021. "The Impact of COVID-19 on US Firms," NBER Working Papers 28314, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Khurana, Indu & Dutta, Dev K. & Singh Ghura, Amarpreet, 2022. "SMEs and digital transformation during a crisis: The emergence of resilience as a second-order dynamic capability in an entrepreneurial ecosystem," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 623-641.
    5. Omar Sheikh Osman, 2021. "The role of microfinance post trauma: the case of Syria," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(3), pages 276-290, July.
    6. Paul Hong & Chenglei Huang & Bo Li, 2012. "Crisis management for SMEs: insights from a multiple-case study," International Journal of Business Excellence, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(5), pages 535-553.
    7. Giunipero, Larry C. & Denslow, Diane & Rynarzewska, Ania Izabela, 2022. "Small business survival and COVID-19 - An exploratory analysis of carriers," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. ŠEmsa ÖZAR & Gökhan ÖZERTAN & Zeynep Burcu İRFANOĞLU, 2008. "Micro And Small Enterprise Growth In Turkey: Under The Shadow Of Financial Crisis," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 46(4), pages 331-362, December.
    9. Kaya, Orcun, 2022. "Determinants and consequences of SME insolvency risk during the pandemic," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    10. Anah� Briozzo & Clara Cardone-Riportella, 2016. "Spanish SMEs' Subsidized and Guaranteed Credit during Economic Crisis: A Regional Perspective," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 496-512, March.
    11. David G. Sirmon & Michael A. Hitt, 2009. "Contingencies within dynamic managerial capabilities: interdependent effects of resource investment and deployment on firm performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(13), pages 1375-1394, December.
    12. Eleni Papaoikonomou & Pere Segarra & Xiaoni Li, 2012. "Entrepreneurship in the Context of Crisis: Identifying Barriers and Proposing Strategies," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 18(1), pages 111-119, February.
    13. Pablo Muñoz & Jonathan Kimmitt & Ewald Kibler & Steffen Farny, 2019. "Living on the slopes: entrepreneurial preparedness in a context under continuous threat," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(5-6), pages 413-434, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eggers, Fabian, 2020. "Masters of disasters? Challenges and opportunities for SMEs in times of crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 199-208.
    2. Ariful Islam & Sazali Abd Wahab, 2023. "Configuring a Quadruple Helix Innovation Model (QHIM) Based Blueprint for Malaysian SMEs to Survivethe Covid-19 Pandemic," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 13(1), pages 102-127.
    3. Piperopoulos, Panagiotis & Jimenez-Moro, Eduardo & Yeung, Matthew & Christopoulou, Danai & Ming, Alan Au Kai, 2023. "The impact of exogenous shocks on the innovation performance of firms in the Caribbean small island economies: Quasi-replication of Paunov (2012)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    4. Ariful Islam & Sazali Abd Wahab, 2023. "Configuring a Quadruple Helix Innovation Model (QHIM) Based Blueprint for Malaysian SMEs to Survivethe Covid-19 Pandemic," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(1), pages 107-132.
    5. Richa Chaturvedi & Ashok Karri, 2022. "Entrepreneurship in the Times of Pandemic: Barriers and Strategies," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 11(1), pages 52-66, March.
    6. Judit Temesvary & Andrew Wei, 2021. "Domestic Lending and the Pandemic: How Does Banks' Exposure to Covid-19 Abroad Affect Their Lending in the United States?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2021-056r1, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.), revised 17 Nov 2021.
    7. Xueyan Dong & Jingyu Gao & Sunny Li Sun & Kangtao Ye, 2021. "Doing extreme by doing good," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 291-315, March.
    8. Shun-Yang Lee & Julian Runge & Daniel Yoo & Yakov Bart & Anett Gyurak & J. W. Schneider, 2023. "COVID-19 Demand Shocks Revisited: Did Advertising Technology Help Mitigate Adverse Consequences for Small and Midsize Businesses?," Papers 2307.09035, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    9. Cowling, Marc & Ughetto, Elisa & Lee, Neil, 2018. "The innovation debt penalty: Cost of debt, loan default, and the effects of a public loan guarantee on high-tech firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 166-176.
    10. Eleanor Jawon Choi & Jaewoo Choi & Hyelim Son, 2019. "The Long-Term Effects of Labor Market Entry in a Recession: Evidence from the Asian Financial Crisis," Upjohn Working Papers 19-312, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    11. Schäfer, Dorothea & Stephan, Andreas & Mosquera, Jenniffer Solórzano, 2015. "Innovation Capabilities and Financing Constraints of Family Firms," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 425, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    12. Douglas Cumming & Lars Hornuf & Moein Karami & Denis Schweizer, 2023. "Disentangling Crowdfunding from Fraudfunding," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1103-1128, February.
    13. Halil Dincer Kaya, 2023. "The Impact Of The 2008-2009 Global Crisis On Retailers’ And Core Industry Firms’ Loan Applications," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 16-24, February.
    14. Leif Brändle & Helen Signer & Andreas Kuckertz, 2023. "Socioeconomic status and entrepreneurial networking responses to the COVID-19 crisis," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 111-147, January.
    15. Ioannis Giotopoulos & Alexander S. Kritikos & Aggelos Tsakanikas, 2023. "A lasting crisis affects R&D decisions of smaller firms: the Greek experience," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 1161-1175, August.
    16. Anabela Santos & Michele Cincera, 2022. "Determinants of financing constraints," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1427-1439, March.
    17. Ansgar Richter & Susanne Schrader, 2017. "Levels of Employee Share Ownership and the Performance of Listed Companies in Europe," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 55(2), pages 396-420, June.
    18. Rahman Ashiqur & Rahman M. Twyeafur & Belas Jaroslav, 2017. "Determinants of SME Finance: Evidence from Three Central European Countries," Review of Economic Perspectives, Sciendo, vol. 17(3), pages 263-285, September.
    19. Dowling, Michael & O’Gorman, Colm & Puncheva, Petya & Vanwalleghem, Dieter, 2019. "Trust and SME attitudes towards equity financing across Europe," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(6), pages 1-1.
    20. Anthony Wakwe Lawrence & Damiete Onyema Lawrence, 2023. "Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Sustainability/Survivability of Micro/Small Sized Businesses in Nigeria," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 16(9), pages 1-1, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:16:y:2023:i:3:p:142-:d:1076087. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.