PANDEMIC OF COVID-19 AND THE LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY OF MICRO AND SMALL BUSINESSES, A GLOBAL CONCERN

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic urged the implementation of new corporate digital strategies which are, in fact, no longer an option but compulsory. Given the context, this study aims to raise the following question: Are the micro and small companies matured enough to face the challenges of digital transformation due to the Covid-19 pandemic? This study has an exploratory approach in order to answer this intriguing question which seems to be a global concern. Data were collected by applying online questionnaires to 256 managers of micro and small enterprises in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The main findings showed that half (50,2%) of respondents considered their enterprises to be in a medium level of digital maturity and 39.13% considered themselves highly prepared to face the challenges of digital transformation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the study showed that it seems to be an inversely proportional relation between managers’ age range and level of digital maturity of companies. Young managers are much more open for new technologies than old ones.