Entrepreneurship & Organization Management

Qualitative Analysis of Leadership and Social Media Use by SMEs and Family Business During the Pandemic Outbreak in 2020

Abstract

Eddy Kurniawan Laij, Abbott J Haron* and Hassan Shakil Bhatti

This thesis will explore the social media platforms’ functions and their numbers (Applications Downloaded, Active User, Views, Shares) that SMEs and family business in Australia can use with minimum cost. Early this year, the Australian government had to take necessary decisions and in a short period to control the pandemic from spreading across the nation. Thus, it left many businesses unprepared to cope with the changes and caused many businesses in Sydney CDB either limiting their activities or closed due to though restriction such as social distancing, no more air travels overseas and interstates, work from home and online study. Unlike any national companies in Australia, SMEs and family business have limited resources to shift or cope with the situations. The thesis will focus on consumer behaviour, as these restrictions will change the way consumer do their activities and influencing another consumer in the social media era, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and others, using 6Cs Parent Model a model on how consumer engaging with company’s content which measures through like, comments, and shares. It will explore the number of users before the restrictions apply and after, and how users using the social media platforms will affecting SMEs and family business. Furthermore, the outcome of this study to encourage SMEs and especially family businesses utilising social media to communicating, promoting, growing, expanding and keep consumers’ awareness of their business. The objectives of this to help SMEs and family business to go through a rough time during the pandemic outbreak and keep their brands or businesses on consumer’s mind and helping and growing SMEs and family business audiences or expands their market. A qualitative research approach, along with internet questionnaires using survey monkey platforms and any sources of information in this thesis, will be cited.