Navigating the new normal: small, medium, and micro enterprise managers’ lived experiences with telework during the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa.

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed organisational managers at the forefront with their ability to lead organisations successfully during the crisis. Telework being a rare approach in South Africa and the pandemic a never-experienced phenomenon, managers faced several challenges. Most literature on the impact on organisations of the Covid-19 pandemic focuses on employees’ experiences and limited attention to managers. Specifically, research on small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) managers is scarce. Thus, this study explores SMME managers’ experiences with teleworking during the Covid-19 pandemic in the South African context. The study used in-depth semi-structured interviews to collect data, following a case study approach. It is revealed that SMME managers experienced a balance in challenges and opportunities in the effect of the pandemic. As a result, there is a great need for training and development for SMME managers to better cope during and post the Covid-19 pandemic. SMME managers recognised the criticality of obtaining training in resilience, emotional intelligence, change management, and leadership development in adverse times. The findings have contributed to a South African conceptualisation of teleworking. Hence, the study recommends the exploration of gender differences in managers’ experiences of teleworking in this context and the impact of the availability of energy resources to facilitate telework in developing economies.