The impact of Covid-19 and the acceleration of change: the experiences of a small family business in Rio de Janeiro [Presentation]

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted the city of Rio de Janeiro severely due to issues with infrastructure as well as persisting inequalities. It was particularly challenging for small businesses who tend to receive little support from the government and often rely on informal sources of support in local communities. Our case study addresses how the Covid-19 pandemic affected a small family business located in the Copacabana region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our in-depth approach explores the work-life interface of a family as their small business dealt with lockdown and other Covid-measures and they shifted operations from in-store sales to delivery. We explore not only the challenges faced by the business but the lived experiences of the entrepreneurs, including how new configurations of family and community act as support networks to cope with challenges – differently from larger organisations. We also examine potential positive outcomes of the pandemic as an accelerator of change and the potential role of resilience and creativity in times of crisis. In particular, we aim to get a better understanding of the concept of family business resilience, described as "the reservoir of individual and family resources that cushions the family firm against disruptions and is characterized by individual and collective creativity used to solve problems and get work done" (Brewton et al., 2010). With the disruption triggered by Covid-19 in our lives, could family businesses have alternative resources and capabilities that encourage resilience? What could we learn from them?