West Central Reporter

Two business professors at Western Illinois University are studying small business owners across the country to see how they have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to learn lessons about survival and dealing with future emergencies.

"Small business owners are a resilient bunch, and if they were to go down during this global pandemic, they would do it swinging," Charlotte Shike, a university instructor of management said, in a release about the study in July. "We knew that learning about the approaches they adapted for survival in this unprecedented business environment was more than intriguing, but could offer guidance for businesses facing similar crises in the future."   

The Western Illinois instructors are also working on the study with educators at several institutions including East Carolina University, UNC Charlotte, and Lipscomb University, the release said.

Charlotte Sarah Shike, Western Illinois University instructor of management | Photo Courtesy of Western Illinois University

Shike and Jennifer McGarry, an assistant professor of accounting, are performing the research to see how small businesses are responding to the pandemic and if this might provide clues on how to recover from business losses, the release said. The project is a collaborative effort with business-related professors from several other colleges.

Approximately 40 small business owners were interviewed in April and Shike said the researchers were impressed with the imaginative ways entrepreneurs had used technology and altered operations to protect their employees and companies, the release said.

Interviews have been recorded and will be used to develop theories the report said. Shike said common themes based on the stories can be learned.

"As we study the transcripts, I am truly humbled by the overwhelming care these entities have for their employees and communities,” she said. “It is astounding the lengths they've gone to and personal sacrifices they've made to protect and support them. Even when some were being pulled under due to their altered business environment, they were looking for ways to help and support others."