An investigation on the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on profits for Zimbabwean manufacturing companies; research on the manufacturing industry in Mutare city · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Magwere, Flight K.

Title

An investigation on the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on profits for Zimbabwean manufacturing companies; research on the manufacturing industry in Mutare city

Abstract

The outbreak of novel Corona virus epidemic (COVID-19) resembled that epidemic can seriously wreak havoc the manufacturing Industrial both locally and internationally. This research work empirically explored the effects of epidemic COVID-19 on the profitability of manufacturing companies in Mutare Zimbabwe targeting twelve (12) manufacturing firms listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange by employing a census survey to cover all manufacturing firms within Mutare. This research adopted the triangulation research method where the researcher used three data collection methods so as to increase reliability and validity of findings by obviating weakness of a single approach and thus balancing it with strengths of the other. Among of the data collection methods used are survey method (whereby a questionnaire was designed and piloted), in depth interviews and focus groups where carried out using a purposively selected sample of company representative managers. Interviews were conducted over the telephone in accordance with the government's COVID-19 regulation to reduce contact in order to reduce the spread of the virus. From a data analysis, the findings indicate that the short-term effects of this unprecedented epidemic such as the lack of operating costs and limited distribution of distributors are severe, and the medium-term impacts promise to be complex and uncertain. Long-term performance metrics including corporate Return on Investment (ROI), corporate contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employee size are all expected to decrease due to Covid-19. In addition, manufacturing firms may need to restructure their supply chain and build relationships with new distributors and business partners. The study proposes a number of twelve (12) manufacturing firms targeted at Managers and others in the manufacturing sector to improve resilience in a changing environment during and after the COVID-19 Period.

Date

2021

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

COVID-19

Manufacturing companies

Supervisor

Mutero, S.