AN ENGAGED UNIVERSITY: RESCUING SMEs DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Daniela Francisco Brauner,Carla Simone Ruppenthal,Raquel Janissek-Muniz,Marcelo Soares Lubaszewski,Wendy Beatriz Witt Haddad Carraro,Daniela Callegaro De Menezes,Fernanda Maciel Reichert,Fernanda Maria Müller,Aurora Carneiro Zen,Marisa Ignez S Rhoden,Lisiane Quadrado Closs

doi:10.1590/s0034-759020200607

Daniela Francisco Brauner, Carla Simone Ruppenthal + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0034-759020200607

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The economic effects of isolation policies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to look for alternatives to survive. Within this crisis scenario, an engaged university has an important role to play in a regional context in addressing not only health issues, but also any resultant social and economic problems. An engaged university needs to take actions that go beyond its traditional missions of education and research - it has to deliver knowledge to society. This paper analyzes a university-community project in Brazil to identify the necessary elements that help promote a regionally-engaged university: the SOS-PME Advisory Network project, which was originally designed to assist SMEs during the crisis. As a result, we identified elements necessary for promoting the university’s third mission - social engagement by way of a university-community project: an engaged team, multidisciplinarity, project management, agility, alliances, a communication strategy, institutional support, and reputation.

Highlights

Countries are implementing different degrees of lockdown and social distancing rules (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020)
Since any suspension of economic activities reflects on the gross domestic product (GDP) and employment rates, it is concerning that at least 600,000 micro and small enterprises have closed down their business due to this pandemic, while revenues have decreased in almost 88% of all businesses in Brazil (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas [Sebrae], 2020)
Designed by a group of scholars from the Management School, it quickly brought on board the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) Scientific and Technological Park, scholars from other units, and even other universities

Summary

Introduction

Countries are implementing different degrees of lockdown and social distancing rules (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020). Since any suspension of economic activities reflects on the gross domestic product (GDP) and employment rates, it is concerning that at least 600,000 micro and small enterprises have closed down their business due to this pandemic, while revenues have decreased in almost 88% of all businesses in Brazil (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas [Sebrae], 2020). According to the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE, 2020), by June 2020 70% of the companies operating in Brazil had reported negative impacts on their activities due to the pandemic – reductions in sales, production and services, and problems with keeping supply chains stocked and access to them open, 13.6% of these companies reported positive effects. In August-2020, 40% of all construction companies and 39.7% of all retail businesses were suffering severe negative effects (IBGE, 2020)

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