The Effect of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Efficiency with the Mediating Role of Marketing Capabilities and Strategic Orientation: A Case Study of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses of Tehran Province

Today, with the rapid spread of the Corona pandemic, problems have arisen for businesses, especially small and medium-sized businesses. On the other hand, marketing capabilities are considered essential in determining the heterogeneous evaluation of product quality for customers, which helps the strategic direction of small and medium-sized businesses in the critical conditions of the Corona pandemic. Hence, the purpose of the current research was to explain the effect of the Corona pandemic on efficiency considering the mediating role of marketing capabilities and strategic orientation. The direction of the research was applied and descriptive in terms of purpose. The statistical population of the research included 2200 managers and senior employees of small and medium-sized businesses in Tehran province, from among whom, a sample of 335 people was recruited using a stratified sampling procedure. A survey method was used for the data collection and PLS method was used for the data analysis. Based on the results, the effect of the Corona disease pandemic on efficiency, marketing capabilities and strategic orientation and the role of strategic orientation on efficiency were confirmed. Moreover, the indirect role of mediating variables of marketing capabilities and strategic orientation in the relationship between the Corona disease pandemic and efficiency was confirmed. However, the effect of marketing capabilities on performance was rejected. This research advises senior managers of small and medium-sized businesses to pay extra attention to strategic orientation and marketing capabilities in order to reduce threats and increase the possibility of survival and take advantage of future opportunities in the post-corona era.