The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Batik Industry: An Empirical Study in Indonesia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic weakened the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. The decline in turnover is one that is felt by the batik industry in East Java, and the decline in turnover in the batik industry is very drastic. This research was conducted to prove the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMEs in the batik industry. One model is proposed to prove the existence of an increase in the performance of the batik industry's SMEs by implementing a customer relationship management strategy, business strategy, and market orientation. The study population was the batik industry entrepreneurs in East Java, Indonesia, using SEM analysis based on Amos, purposive sampling method, and a sample of 180 respondents. The results showed that the model was accepted. The results also show that customer relationship management and business strategy contributed to the performance of SMEs, while market orientation did not contribute to the performance of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. To be able to maintain the sustainability of the company, the steps taken by the company are to lay off some of the employees, and during the production period the production stops, and focus on selling goods that have been previously produced.