Journal of Business & Professional Studies (JBPS)

CALL FOR PAPERS: Special Issue for Vol. 14 on: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emerging Economies’ SMEs

The Call for papers for this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive collection of conceptual, empirical, and case study articles on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in Emerging Economies. At present, the COVID-19 virus has affected the lives of billions of people in 211 countries and territories. The current estimate is that the virus has already infected more than 51.2 million people and caused more than 1.2 million deaths (WHO, 2020). Although several countries are already distributing approved vaccines, infection rates, hospitalization, and deaths are still on the rise, leading to the increasing restrictions which are further impacting the people and the operations of many firms. What we do know, is that the pandemic has affected every single industry in the world with some ceasing operations totally and many more struggling to keep afloat. What has been the impact on firms in Emerging Economies with their myriad peculiar challenges would be critical to the expected recovery and the future growth.

Consequently, the objective of this Special Issue is to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on small and medium enterprises in such economies and all of their stakeholders, such as employers, employees, customers, suppliers and vendors including manufacturers of goods and providers of services to the hospitality industry, local and regional economies, communities at large, etc.

Topics of Interest (partial list):

1. The political, economic, social, psychological, physical and/or technological implications of being unemployed and/or isolated at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. The effect on profit and non-profit organizations at the local, regional, or national level.
3. Case studies on successes and/or failures of public or private SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including non-profit organizations.
4. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on SMEs including non-profit organizations.
5. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on SMEs including non-profit organizations.
6. Methods of recovering from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs.
7. Other related topics

Methodologies/ Lengths
The submitted articles may be conceptual, empirical, or case studies. The research methodologies could be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed modes. Individual papers should not exceed 8,000 words, even though articles up to 10,000 words may be accepted if the type of analysis justifies this.

Review Process
Each submission will undergo a 45-day turnaround review process:

1. The Editor-in-Chief will review each article submitted, for general suitability.
2. If determined to be suitable, a double-blind review, expected to last not more than thirty (30) days will be conducted.
3. Based on the recommendation of the reviewers, the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board, will make an acceptance/rejection decision within fourteen (14).

Key Dates

1. Submissions open: 20thFebruary, 2021
2. Submissions deadline: 20th June, 2021
3. Expected date of publication: October 2021

Submission Process
Please refer to the link below for full information: https://upsa.edu.gh/academics/research/jbps