Entrepreneurship in Times of Adversity Through the Lens of University Students

Abstract

The crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has had previously unforeseen global repercussions. As in other countries, in Turkey, the lockdowns and social isolation measures have completely changed social and economic conditions. Entrepreneurship, which by definition involves risk, has become even more risky due to the serious economic and social consequences of the pandemic. This study aimed to explore university students’ perspectives of entrepreneurship and to gain an understanding about the entrepreneurial experience in this period. Using reflexive photography as a visual method to extract qualitative data, this study presents a humanistic portrait of entrepreneurship as seen through the eyes of young people during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal six emergent themes regarding entrepreneurship, which are agile adaptation to new conditions, the changes in consumer preferences, the psychological responses, the rising number of women entrepreneurs, the adverse effects on the hospitality industry and the adaptation problems of traditional business owners. The current research provides an understanding of being an entrepreneur in Turkey during a global pandemic. The findings would contribute to educational institutions, entrepreneurs, managers and policy makers in their future efforts on designing agile policies, systems and structures that would show resilience to similar crises and educating capable entrepreneurs.