Resilience in uncertainty: The impact of coping strategies on tourism entrepreneurs’ subjective well-being in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This study examines how tourism entrepreneurs of Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa (SAA) coped with environmental uncertainties during COVID-19 and the impact on their resilience and subjective well-being (SWB). Using a mixed-methods approach, we combined quantitative survey data from 844 participants and 23 in-depth qualitative interviews in Ghana and Nigeria. Findings reveal that environmental uncertainty triggers problem-focused coping, which significantly enhances resilience and SWB. Conversely, emotion-focused coping shows no significant relationship with uncertainty, indicating a unique response pattern in these contexts. Entrepreneurial team efficacy plays a crucial moderating role in the relationship between coping strategies, resilience, and SWB. While COVID-19 served as the primary context, the findings offer a broader perspective on how entrepreneurs navigate diverse environmental uncertainties in volatile, resource-scarce environments. These findings contribute to a contextualised understanding of entrepreneurial behaviour in SSA and provide practical implications for enhancing entrepreneur support systems in turbulent times.