Roshangar / The spread of the coronavirus has affected economic activities in various ways, such as reducing revenues, customer uncertainty and caution, closure of businesses with social interactions, reduced demand for many industries and services, and disruption of communication routes with other countries

 Disruptions in exports from land borders, reduced inbound and outbound tourism, global oil price and demand reduction, reduced prices of export products, and disruptions in global trade have been among the most important consequences of the coronavirus outbreak in the field of foreign trade

 One of the most important consequences of the coronavirus outbreak is the phenomenon of deglobalization due to the closure of land, sea, and air borders of countries, disruption of normal flow of raw materials, goods, capital, and human resources, and temporary closure of businesses and production units

It seems that currently most countries have felt the blows of the coronavirus outbreak in their economy

 According to economic experts, after the spread of the coronavirus, countries have been somewhat affected by an economic influenza that has temporarily negatively impacted the supply and demand of various sectors

They believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is both a supply shock and a demand shock, severely slowing down exchange flows at various levels and causing many difficulties in production and supply chains

 In most organizations, adapting to environmental changes and uncertainties is very complex and involves different decisions and behaviors at various levels of the organization

The success of any organization depends on external (environment) and internal (strategy, structure, processes, and ideology) adaptation processes

 These processes begin by aligning the organization with the market, which seeks to meet the current and future needs of customers

In other words, the goal of this type of analysis is to evaluate the organizational adaptability to changing environments, which is done by studying the relationship between strategy, structure, and processes of the organization

 Based on empirical studies, companies or business units are divided into four groups in terms of their adaptation strategies to the environment, including opportunity seekers, defenders, reactors, and analyzers. Alongside the challenges and threats posed by the coronavirus, there are also opportunities that can be utilized with proper planning

The prerequisite for turning the threat of widespread disease into an opportunity for income generation for various businesses and even governments is a change in mindset and a turn to creative and innovative thinking to utilize any kind of initiative and creativity in the work areas. Opportunities for the private sector include developing home-based businesses, digital businesses and platforms, packaging goods, developing sanitary items, startups, artificial intelligence, health sector, and branding in distribution networks. There are also opportunities for decision-makers and policymakers, such as developing a comprehensive and growing e-government and facilitating obtaining licenses and completing and preparing a comprehensive statistical and information system for the government in various sectors, including completing tax systems, comprehensive statistics and information system for employees, identifying weaknesses in the healthcare infrastructure, etc., more than ever before

Regarding support measures for businesses, financial support and facilities such as providing working capital facilities, using the capacity of promissory notes, reducing costs and fees, etc., implementing structural supports such as immediate provision of hardware and software infrastructure for necessary accesses, immediate facilitation of licenses for the establishment or development of virtual stores and launching other businesses, supporting complementary industries in the food production chain in the agricultural sector (to maintain and increase food security), activating economic diplomacy during the coronavirus period (to maintain the necessary export and import markets), and other measures can be considered

 For example, support for complementary industries in the food production chain in the agricultural sector needs to be improved

 Maximum care must be taken to keep essential infrastructure and key sectors active, especially food-producing industries. These industries play an effective role in reducing waste and increasing productivity in the agricultural sector, so helping these businesses survive in crisis conditions through financial and credit support and including their products in the basket of daily necessities for vulnerable groups can be considered

Activation of economic diplomacy during the corona period: Negotiations between the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and neighboring countries to define bilateral and multilateral health protocols for border reopening or expedite land trade processes between Iran and neighboring countries and continuous monitoring of Iran’s export markets in other countries, including Southeast Asian countries, by specialized teams and taking timely actions to maintain or develop export markets (especially the steel chain) is recommended

Business resilience helps businesses continue their operations in any situation

Business resilience in a corporate sense means the ability to withstand crises and risk factors

Business resilience in companies refers to structural and systemic capabilities that enable companies to have the necessary capacity to deal with crises

 Resilience in businesses creates capabilities that allow them to survive and continue on the path of return and growth despite unfavorable conditions

 The capacity for resilience helps ensure the long-term survival of a company. Strategy supports a company’s ability to protect against potential risks and helps plan for resilience and survival in turbulent conditions

Dr. Melika MolkAra – Researcher And business strategy consultant