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A Contingency Theory Approach to Understanding Small Retail Business Continuity During COVID-19
Michelle Childs1, Tom Turner2, Christopher Sneed1
1The University of Tennessee.
Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Small retail leaders navigated the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on cash flow, employees, and stakeholder relationships. They demonstrated resilience through passion, agility, innovation, and relationship development.
Area of Science:
- Business Management
- Organizational Psychology
- Crisis Leadership
Background:
- Small retail businesses faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Effective leadership strategies were crucial for business survival and adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate leadership qualities essential for managing small retail businesses during crisis periods.
- To identify specific actions and mindsets adopted by retail leaders.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 12 small retail leaders.
- Thematic data analysis to identify key leadership themes and behaviors.
Main Results:
- Contingent leadership emerged, balancing internal focus (cash flow, employees) with external focus (stakeholder relations).
- Retail leaders exhibited resilience, passion, agility, innovation, and strong relationship development skills.
- A conceptual model illustrating these findings was developed.
Conclusions:
- Resilient and adaptive leadership is vital for small retail businesses in crisis.
- A balanced focus on internal operations and external relationships is key for navigating turbulence.
- The proposed model offers insights for crisis management in the retail sector.
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