Effects of Teleworking and Strategic Orientations on Resilience in the Post-Pandemic Period

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of the strategic orientations of SMEs, which are in the group most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic process, which exemplifies volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) conditions, on their organizational resilience, and the differentiation of SMEs organizational resilience according to the teleworking style they prefer. The research model and hypotheses were examined by using the Structural Equation Modeling technique on the data collected by the survey method by interviewing 500 SME owners/partners/senior executives operating in the service sector in Turkey. In addition, teleworking methods were compared with post-hoc tests. As the results, technology, market, learning, and entrepreneurial orientations affect organizational resilience positively and significantly. Technology orientation plays an important role for companies to have telework skills in order to ensure business continuity and to increase their organizational resilience. It was determined that organizational resilience in SMEs differed according to the type of telework. The systematic and regular types of telework adopted by firms provide higher organizational resilience than those applied in exceptional and temporary situations. And companies with different strategic orientations combinations will likely have higher organizational resilience. With its perspective and findings, this research both contributes to the relevant literature and is an eye-opener for practitioners.