Business Sustainability During and After COVID-19: A Preliminary Study of Malaysian Entrepreneurs with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Entrepreneurs with disabilities have received little attention and are understudied albeit the many programs and activities developed by the Malaysian Government. A qualitative phenomenology approach was used to interview five entrepreneurs with physical disabilities on their business sustainability during COVID-19. A thematic analysis led to a framework with mental strength as most essential for all entrepreneurs in harnessing family support and positive mindset to overcome discrimination and maintain business perseverance. This study can be further extended to include the other six categories of EWDs. A post COVID-19 study can be conducted to assess the current performance of these five EWDs in this study. Finally, a tracer study is highly recommended to better understand the phenomenon as well as psychological motivators and obstacles faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Keywords: COVID-19, entrepreneurs with disabilities, mental strength, qualitative phenomenology approach

INTRODUCTION

In Malaysia, many programs and legislative measures including the Person with Disabilities Act 2008 and the National Plan of Action for PWDs (2007-2012) which are in place to address the issue of individuals with disabilities struggling to find job (Islam, 2015). These programs seek to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) in society by developing more inclusive policies and opportunities. However, the researchers believe that the number of entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWDs) that have made substantial economic impact in Malaysia is minimal, apart from a few like Mr. Lee Thiam Wah of the 99Speedmart chain and Dr. Ruzimi bin Mohamed, the IT expert who was born without one left hand and both legs.

In Malaysia, it is common to see a handicapped couple moving from one table to the next peddling packets of tissue papers at a restaurant or begging on the street. This phenomenon has resulted in negative perceptions and stereotyping of PWDs. In addition, the dependency syndrome on handouts have created stereotype of PWDs. This phenomenon had adversely impacted EWDs who struggled with many other forms of challenges.

Numerous research on the viability and challenges to entrepreneurship supports the assumption that it is a feasible career alternative for people with disabilities (Blanck, 2007; Renko, 2016). However, the start-up efforts by EWDs are less likely to result in the establishment ofsuccessful businesses albeit the availability of many training programs and funding from agencies such as SAYLEAD, MARA, RISE Foundation, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia and SMIDEC In addition, little study has been conducted on EWDs who have been successful in negotiating the hurdles and barriers (Renko, 2016), particularly when considering the disruptive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a terrible economic impact as well as protracted misery for everyone. Since COVID-19 swept the globe in 2020, more than 150,000 Malaysian Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) have ceased operation, leaving 1.2 million people unemployed (Mushtaq, 2022). If the lack of business sustainability has made SMEs more vulnerable to uncertainties, imagine the impact on EWDs. EWDs confront a double blow and encounter more challenges than their able-bodied peers (Dhar and Farzana, 2017).

Studies on EWDs can be related to a macro theory of human motivation and personality known as the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2022) that focuses on people's natural growth tendencies and psychological demands. The researchers believe that the EWDs basic human needs for autonomy, competence, and connection drive individuals to act independently and contribute to their overall mental and emotional well-being. In addition, most studies on EWDs focus on their lack of competencies i.e., knowledge, skills, and attitude. The researchers believe that most of the EWDs have strong technical skills and knowledge, but the importance of attitude appears to be neglected. People with disabilities have frequently been viewed for a very long time as unproductive citizens who are unable to fulfil their obligations and tasks correctly, causing their rights to be disregarded. Compounding this problem is the negative perception towards entrepreneurs with disabilities, i.e. they are regarded as having attitudinal problems and being overly reliant on aid and handouts from the government. The researcher defines entrepreneurial attitude as a set of regular behaviors and mental processes associated with starting and sustaining a successful firm. Among the critical entrepreneurial attitude includes demonstrating initiative and proactive problem-solving skills (Van Ness et al., 2020); demonstrating passion and devotion to ideas and goals, particularly in challenging situations (Al Issa, 2021); and resilience and perseverance by demonstrating the ability to recover from setbacks, learn from mistakes, and overcome difficulties (Salisu et al., 2020). Finally, other studies on EWDs have focused on misconceptions about their abilities which can lead to discrimination, underestimation of their abilities, and difficulties obtaining funding or business partnerships (Darcy et al., 2023; Kalargyrou et al., 2020; Salamzadeh et al., 2022); as well as consumer discrimination where some consumers discourage self-employment by lowering demand for goods and services produced by EWDs, as well as lowering the rewards for entrepreneurship (Boylan and Burchardt, 2002; Jones and Latreille, 2011).

Many studies have been done on the consumers and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic (Laato et al., 2020; Jebril, 2020; Puttaiah et al., 2020). Unexpectedly, there has been no research on the impact of the COVID-19 on EWDs’ businesses. As such, this study focuses on EWDs who 'survived' the COVID-19 pandemic to fill this research vacuum. Hence, this research is focused upon EWDs who thrived during COVID-19 to find answers for the research question: - How do these EWDs ensure that their business sustainability during and beyond COVID-19?

LITERATURE REVIEW

EWDs were particularly vulnerable to the consequences of COVID-19. The researchers believe that most EWDs have suffered because of limited access to resources, rising unemployment, record-level inflation, interest rate hikes, and continued business closures because of the lockdowns during COVID-19. However, there are EWDs who thrived during COVID-19 and continued to be successful during the endemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most businesses, particularly those in the food and retail sectors where most EWDs are involved in, have been forced to close completely. According to Brunt et al. (2023), during the COVID-19 crisis, smaller firms were hit hardest as government economic activity was reallocated toward firms with higher pre-crisis labour productivity. In addition, due to customers' incapacity to visit stores or a lack of available cash for purchases, there has been a significant decline in demand for consumer goods, causing companies to change their business tactics. Online platforms and logistic related businesses are booming globally due to COVID-19 (Medyakova et al., 2020; Musa et al., 2023).

As expected, the negative impact continued after COVID-19 as most EWDs must start their business all over again. Small firms and start-ups are reopening after the COVID-19 lockdowns, but face hurdles such as changing customer preferences and fine-tuning their business strategies by prioritizing employee and consumer safety, cost control, and online presence/doorstep services (Varma & Dutta, 2022). Mukherjee et al. (2023) further identified five factors for entrepreneurs in the post COVID-19 to consider: (1) SMEs' access to external resources, particularly entrepreneurial finance; (2) their ability to plan for the long term while remaining flexible; (3) entrepreneurial learning's ability to deal with "unplanned" events/uncertainty; (4) the importance of networking and information sources; and (5) their optimism for future recovery. Optimism for future recovery from the adverse impact of COVID-19 could be related to psychological factors such as anxiety and depression, and could have long-lasting (Jabbar et al., 2022).

However, Conz et al. (2023) believed that since entrepreneurs' adaptive traits help them respond better to crises, their influence will continue to make adjustment and grow. Entrepreneurs are thought to be more inventive and risk-takers than non-entrepreneurs because of their capacity to react to and adapt to market demands (Ganegoda Hewage, 2023). Interestingly, several EWDs managed to expand their business irrespective of COVID-19. The researchers believe the Self Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985; Ryan and Deci, 2022) can be applied as it explains how being self-determined impacts the motivation of EWDs to sustain their businesses. The theory can also be applied to EWDS as it explains how being self-determined impacts their motivation to succeed.

METHODOLOGY

There are seven categories of people with disabilities (PWDs) under which they can register at the Social Welfare Department of Malaysia namely: (1) Hearing Disability, (2) Visual Disability, (3) Speech Disability, (4) Physical Disability, (5) Learning Disability, (6) Mental Disability, and (7) Multiple Disabilities. The researchers will focus on EWDs with physical disability as they form the majority group. A qualitative phenomenology approach was used to interview five EWDs as this approach provides rich opportunity to test and experience the phenomenon through descriptions of the essence of the experience of EWDs. The interview session aimed to uncover hidden themes and concepts during data collection and analysis, utilising informality as the context (Fei et al., 2023). A phenomenological qualitative method provides for empathy and recognition of both the researcher's and the participant's subjectivity regarding the topic under investigation (Alhazmi & Haufmann, 2022). In addition, this is preliminary research to explore EWDs business sustainability based on a small sample. Purposive sampling was used as it allowed for the intentional selection of participants based on specific characteristics relevant to the research objectives by deliberately including a diverse cross section of ages, backgrounds, and cultures, i.e., to concentrate on people with characteristics who will better be able to assist with the relevant research (Etikan et al., 2016). The EWDs was chosen based on the following inclusion criteria for selection: (1) self-identified as Entrepreneurs with Disabilities; (2) engaged in entrepreneurial activities prior, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) experienced disruptions or challenges in their entrepreneurial endeavors due to the pandemic; and (4) willingness to share their experiences through interviews.

The researchers performed thematic analysis on the qualitative data through familiarization, coding, generating themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing up before summarizing and interpreting the findings (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This approach is highly suited for questions about EWDs’ experiences or their opinions and perceptions. It aids in obtaining accurate results using data generated by thematic analysis. An open-ended interview protocol and guide was developed, tested, and used in the fieldwork on the five EWDs. The background of the five EWDs is shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Demography of the Interviewees

FINDINGS

The following themes were uncovered based on transcription of the interviews with the five EWDs: (1) mental strength, (2) discrimination, (3) perseverance, (4) positive mindset, (4) creativity and innovation, and (5) family support. The following section discusses the critical features and descriptions of each theme accordingly.

MENTAL STRENGTH

All five EWDs demonstrated exemplary mental strength to resist both internal and external influences that weaken their self-confidence and well-being. For example, Mr. Sem has a strong desire to create his own cookies empire. He is very successful now with the appointment of 50 agents and direct sellers to several Mesra shops (convenience store) in Petronas (the biggest petrol pump outlet in Malaysia) as well as other outlets. Mr. Sem described a critical moment when he first started his business when a pre-order of 700 containers of cookies was cancelled at the last minute before the Eid celebration during COVID-19. Being resilient, Mr. Sem learned, mastered, and used social media such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to sell all his cookies within seven days and with a bigger profit.

Mr. Bang is motivated to attain his full potential based on his slogan "look at what you have, not what others have". Being paralyzed from the waist down did not stop him from finishing his mechatronic degree. After rehabilitation he worked as a programmer and was involved in physical activities that required him to climb. His tenacity and never die attitude attracted the attention of his previous lecturer who then invited Mr. Bang to be a partner of a start-up company.

DISCRIMINATION

The researchers believe that EWDs have long been prejudiced and have been seen as unproductive citizens incapable of carrying out their tasks and responsibilities efficiently, resulting in their rights being overlooked. All 5 EWDs faced discrimination in various forms during their entrepreneurial journey. Mr. Sem and Mr. Bang both recounted stories about being discriminated against by co-workers, which inspired them to start their own businesses. Mr. Deng shared incidents when he marketed his products and how some customers felt uneasy because of his handicap. Ms. Gi felt discriminated against when she applied for financial grants and support, a common experience by most EWDs. Sadly, EWDs are often stereotyped and perceived to be too dependent upon government support and handouts.

PERSEVERANCE

Among the five EWDs, Ms. Gi has the highest level of perseverance. Running an online math enrichment program for children during COVID-19 was very difficult because of the competition. Being single and being classified as a PWD after a car accident and losing employment made her disillusioned initially. However, Ms. Gi decided to become a franchisor of a new math enrichment program and was able to organize classes and workshops for many children. She used Facebook effectively to promote her business to the public. Now she has several math enrichment centres.

Mr. Deng has a high level of perseverance as he has a large family, and his wife is also disabled. Making and selling smoked beef in a competitive market requires him to provide catering service based on demand. He also makes frozen smoked beef during his free time. Even with only two fingers on his left hand, Mr. Deng was able to drive to make deliveries during the lockdown and build a bigger smoke house in the backyard of his house. He uses YouTube extensively for marketing. Based on his perseverance his products are now marketed all over Malaysia.

POSITIVE MINDSET

A positive mindset is the ability to see the good in every situation, no matter how difficult. It is the ability to believe in one's ability to attain one's true potential. Positive mindsets are evident among the 5 EWDs. Mr. Sem, for example, is so proud of his business accomplishment that, unlike most PWDs, he never seeks assistance from the Social Welfare Department and other related institutions. Furthermore, religiosity can provide people with a sense of purpose and meaning in life, which can lead to a more optimistic outlook, as seen in the case of all five EWDs who have accepted their disability as fate. This positive attitude can make people feel more upbeat and hopeful about the future. In addition, religion can provide EWDs with a sense of connection to the community. Mr. Sem, Mr. Bang, and Mr. Deng are supportive of their community and contribute actively to various planned activities.

CREATIVITY AND INOVATION

The researchers find that positive-thinking EWDs have entrepreneurial mindset and are creative in finding new business opportunities even during a disruption. All the five EWDs are very creative to identify new opportunities to expand their business during COVID-19. Mr. Bang organized training programs which later became a profitable division of his company. Similarly, Mr. Deng, Mr. Gem, and Mr. Sem diversified and ventured into food catering delivery due to the huge demand during COVID-19. Even Ms. Gi organized a part-time cleaning service on demand. All five EWDs used social media like Facebook, Tiktok and YouTube to promote their businesses and recorded good income during COVID-19.

FAMILY SUPPORT

Family Support is a major motivator for most of the EWDs. EWDs encounter numerous hurdles, thus it is critical that they have a strong support structure in place. As in the example of Mr. Sem, who had to drop out of Form 6 due to a motorbike accident, family members can assist by listening to him, encouraging him, and believing in him. Mr. Sem grew distraught as he saw his peers continuing their education at universities, a dream he had to give up. Mr. Sem’s aunty opened the door for Mr. Sem to start the cookie business. Since the aunt couldn’t keep up with demand, she asked Mr. Sem and his wife to help her make cookies. From just making pineapple tarts to support his aunt’s growing business, Mr. Sem now produces eight different types of cookies with his wife and children who helped whenever they are free.

EWDs may require financial assistance to establish and expand their businesses. Family members can aid financially by investing in their businesses, lending them money, or assisting them in obtaining loans as in the case of Mr. Bang. In fact, his parents moved from Kelantan to the Klang Valley to further support Mr. Bang’s business. Mr. Bang’s wife who works in the government sector provides emotional support during the formative stages of Mr. Bang’s business.

EWDs may require assistance with marketing, accounting, and customer service. Family members can offer practical assistance by assisting them with these duties or connecting them with people who can, as in the case of Mr. Deng and Mr. Gem whose family members provide support to their business on case-to-case basis.

DISCUSSION

The diverse background of the five EWDs makes an interesting analysis: four men and one woman, four married and one single, and three food-based and two knowledge-based businesses. This pattern is consistent with a study on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Selangor, Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic (Mansor et al., 2023). Males with disabilities are more open to become entrepreneurs (Minniti and Nardone, 2007). Furthermore, within the Malaysian context, males are the breadwinners in the family (Boo, 2021). Food and beverage businesses have low barriers for entry and would be most suitable for EWDs from the Asian perspective (Cakranegara et al., 2022; Chou et al., 2020). However, most easy entry businesses have low risk and returns unlike knowledge-based businesses that could employ more staff and have bigger potential for growth (Hosseini et al., 2022).

However, during the COVID-19 epidemic, the evolution of digital business changed the way enterprises functioned and were organized enabling entrepreneurs to rely on digital platforms and information technology (IT) to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities (Amran et al., 2024). For example, women with physical disabilities have potential to raise their daily income via an internet platform that provided professional opportunities and aided them in establishing their businesses (Hasbollah et al., 2022).

The authors believe that mental strength is most essential for all entrepreneurs, but it is especially important for EWDs. They must be resilient and can overcome the unique challenges they face to achieve their goals (Saxena, 2018) particularly during a disruption such as COVID-19. Mental strength is needed by EWDS to face discrimination and prejudice (Sarkar, 2020). The researchers believe that those who succeed believe they are capable of great things and refuse to allow their handicap to define them. They must be able to creatively find solutions to problems they encounter (Hidegh et al., 2022). They can leverage their distinct perspectives to create novel products and services. In addition, entrepreneurs with disabilities frequently have an optimistic outlook on life (Csillag et al., 2019). Qazi et al (2022) also showed the importance of family support for entrepreneurial development.  The researchers believe that both family support and positive mindset can assist individuals in overcoming hurdles and remain motivated. Figure 1 shows the importance of mental health to harness family support and positive mindset to overcome discrimination and maintain business perseverance among EWDs.

Figure 1

Interplay of Themes on EWDs Success

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

It’s a long journey to become a successful entrepreneur, but for the EWDs, it is even longer and filled with so many obstacles and difficulties. COVID-19 was a major obstacle to all businesses, but there are some EWDs who exploited opportunities during the disruptive times. Evidently, EWDs can be successful if given the opportunity, support, and guidance. The government should provide more opportunities and funds for deserving EWDs.

Programs that support EWDs should be designed and enhanced to show that Malaysians are a caring society that promotes inclusivity. For example, training programs should be organized for each category of disabilities, not using the one size fit all approach as each category has different training requirements. The focus should be on quality, not quantity.

The family could be a double-edged sword to a PWD. Based on the authors’ experiences, some families are over-protective of their disabled children and would confine them to the house. Worse, some feels ashamed of their disabled family members. Conversely, the EWDs who are successful are supported by their wives and family members who also play major roles in the businesses.

Mental health is the key to overcoming discrimination, maintaining perseverance, and develop positive mindset and creativity. In addition, it is critical to recognize that EWDs are just as capable as everyone else. This study shows that EWDs have higher levels of abilities, competencies, ideals, and motivation. As such, they must be given the same opportunity as everyone else. We can create a more inclusive and equitable economy for everyone if we can address the prevalent discriminatory attitude EWDs.

Finally, the author feels that this preliminary study can be further extended to include the other six categories of EWDs. It would be interesting to compare their success based on the typology of EWDs. In addition, a post COVID-19 study can be conducted to assess the current performance of these five entrepreneurs with physical disabilities. In addition, conducting a tracer study or longitudinal study is highly recommended to better understand the phenomenon as well as psychological motivators and obstacles faced by EWDs. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This paper is part of a research funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2022/SS02/INTI/02/1). The authors would like to convey our appreciation to the five entrepreneurs with disabilities for the patience during the interview.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

There are no potential conflicts of interest concerning this study.

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