Resilience, adaptation and strategic engagement: Saudi female entrepreneurs confront Covid-19

PurposeThe authors propose that the lessons learned by women business owners in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic can provide a model of strategic engagement for gender, work and organizations moving forward, where the acknowledgment of women's dual roles inside and outside of the home can provide paths for creative adaptation by employers in order to recruit and retain more diverse workers in the future.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted in-depth interviews with 15 female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia during the lockdown and soft reopening of the economy in the summer and fall of 2020.FindingsThe authors’ findings provide evidence that some female business owners were already equipped for resilience during the lockdown as they relied on business models that allowed for flexible hours, working from home, and online collaboration. Entrepreneurs further refined their business models as the lockdown continued, and these changes intersected with ongoing adaptations by government institutions and clients, which were designed to adjust to the realities of moving commerce online. Business models that relied on traditional masculine approaches of in-person interaction with clients outside the home, or on global supply chains materially affected by lockdown disruptions, were the least able to adapt.Originality/valueRather than focusing on the strategies of individual entrepreneurs, the authors show how cultural context shapes both business models and adaptations of entrepreneurs from cultures that emphasize women's roles inside the home.