Challenges and Uncertainty: The Impact of Covid 19 on Segi Seri Group Sdn. Bhd.

Abstract

Running a business operation has always been associated with certain risk that needs to be constantly monitored to ensure that the risk is under control. In the middle of the present COVID-19 pandemic that has affected various aspects of socioeconomic, the risk and challenges faced by the business organisation just went up a notch higher. The current socioeconomic was unprecedented and due to the drastic measure taken by the government to slow down the spread of the disease, many businesses find themselves struggling to stay afloat as they were unable to run the business as they normally did. Due to the nature that necessitates them to interact directly with the customers, the hospitality industry has received one of the hardest impacts as the pandemic continues. Foodservice sector such as restaurant, small roadside stall, and event management catering has felt the full-frontal brunt of the COVID-19 wave with the latter facing the harshest impact. This study investigated the risk and challenges that a local event management catering company called Seri Segi endured during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted through 4 months of observation and interviews with some of the employees. The data were analysed using narrative analysis that extracted the key or crucial point of the data. The result showed there were 6 areas of concern that became the challenges for Seri Segi group: branding, cost, customer demand, competition, promotion, and manpower.