Gender, entrepreneurship, and coping with the COVID‐19 pandemic: The case of GoFood merchants in Indonesia. Issue 3 (7th December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Elhan‐Kayalar, Yesim; Sawada, Yasuyuki; van der Meulen Rodgers, Yana
• Other Names: Edwards Ryan guestEditor.; Suryadarma Daniel guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Asia & the Pacific policy studies. Volume 9:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 222
• Page End: 245
• Publication Date: 2022-12-07
• Subjects: COVID‐19 -- digitalisation -- e‐commerce -- MSMEs -- women; Policy sciences -- Asia -- Periodicals; Policy sciences -- Pacific Area -- Periodicals; Policy sciences -- Australia -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Asia -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Pacific Area -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Australia -- Periodicals; 320.6095
• DOI: 10.1002/app5.362
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-2680

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines business performance and crisis‐mitigation strategies among micro, small, and medium‐sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We utilise a new primary dataset based on administrative records, survey data, and follow‐up interviews with merchants using the digital application GoFood, an on‐demand cooked food delivery service. Three empirical findings emerge: first, the overall employment size of women‐owned businesses shrank more than men‐owned businesses after the onset of the pandemic; second, women were more likely than men to cut personal expenditures and use government assistance as crisis‐mitigation strategies; and third, competition increased sharply as new merchants entered the platform, with the service areas of both incumbents and entrants shrinking over time. These results have implications for policies on womenʼs entrepreneurship, the uptake of business development services, and financing programs for MSMEs.