{"title":"The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: challenges among Iranian startups","authors":"Aidin Salamzadeh, Léo-Paul Dana","doi":"10.1080/08276331.2020.1821158","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The coronavirus outbreak has become a global issue with significant effects on capital markets, and the global economy; its impacts are estimated to be even more than the previous global recessions. In this interim, due to the impacts of this pandemic, startups are more prone to fail or succeed faster than ever before; however, the challenges they face are not yet clearly scrutinized, as the pandemic was faster than scholars. This study therefore investigates the main challenges of Iranian startups by interviewing the co-founders of fifteen well-known startups. The findings are analyzed through two-step coding, and findings were discussed in a focus group session to which startup co-founders, policymakers, and scholars were invited. It was revealed that there are six principal types of challenges to be addressed, including financial, human resources management, support measures and mechanisms, marketing, crisis management, as well as some others.","PeriodicalId":37293,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship","volume":"51 1","pages":"489 - 512"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2020-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"83","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2020.1821158","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Business, Management and Accounting","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 83
Abstract
Abstract The coronavirus outbreak has become a global issue with significant effects on capital markets, and the global economy; its impacts are estimated to be even more than the previous global recessions. In this interim, due to the impacts of this pandemic, startups are more prone to fail or succeed faster than ever before; however, the challenges they face are not yet clearly scrutinized, as the pandemic was faster than scholars. This study therefore investigates the main challenges of Iranian startups by interviewing the co-founders of fifteen well-known startups. The findings are analyzed through two-step coding, and findings were discussed in a focus group session to which startup co-founders, policymakers, and scholars were invited. It was revealed that there are six principal types of challenges to be addressed, including financial, human resources management, support measures and mechanisms, marketing, crisis management, as well as some others.
期刊介绍:
Studies published in the JSBE can be from and based on Canada or other countries of the world. They can cover topics related to matters such as: A. Start-up and resource gathering for an SME -Starting, buying and selling an SME -Financing, funding, banking, venture capital, audit and accounting in SMEs -Entrepreneur characteristics, leadership and work-life balance -Identification of business opportunities, business incubators and mentorship -Support services to entrepreneurship and SMEs B. Functional management and growth of an SME -Sales and marketing in SMEs -Human resource management in SMEs -Operation management in SMEs -Innovation, knowledge management, learning and fast growth in SMEs -New technologies, Internet, and communication in SMEs -Regulation and taxes for SMEs -Growth of SMEs C. Strategic management and change in an SME -Strategic Management in SMEs -International entrepreneurship and SME internationalization -Networks, alliances and relationships with government and large enterprises -Managing change in an uncertain and changing environment -Factors of success and failure in SME and entrepreneurial firms D. New trends in entrepreneurship and SME management -Social entrepreneurship -Gender and female entrepreneurship -Indigenous entrepreneurship -Ethnic/diaspora/immigrant entrepreneurship -Youth and student entrepreneurship -Entrepreneurship in emerging/transition markets -Franchises, sport, health, consulting and other emerging types of SMEs -Corporate entrepreneurship E. Special topics in entrepreneurship and SME management -Family-based business -Social responsibility, environmental protection, governance, and ethics in SMEs -SMEs and regional, urban, rural, and national development -Entrepreneurship education -Epistemology, general theory development, and methods of research in entrepreneurship and SMEs -Entrepreneurship and sustainable development