Multilevel Analysis Applied in High-Impact Environments : Causes and Effects of Firm and Political Activities During the Pandemic in the Restaurant Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a serious risk to the economic viability of companies and the sustainability of employment in the restaurant sector, a high-impact activity for the economy and employment in Mexico and Spain. This paper analyzes the causes of the prolonged and intense damage to compan...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández-de-Caleya-Dalmau, Ramón, Ramos-Abascal, María Isabel, Maylín-Aguilar, Caridad
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Repositorio:DDFV. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddfv.ufv.es:10641/7539
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10641/7539
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mexico
Spain
business survival
human capital
multilevel analysis
pandemic
resignation
restaurants
Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Yes
yes
Descripción
Sumario:The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a serious risk to the economic viability of companies and the sustainability of employment in the restaurant sector, a high-impact activity for the economy and employment in Mexico and Spain. This paper analyzes the causes of the prolonged and intense damage to companies and employees via multilevel analysis techniques and a qualitative, inductive methodology drawing on multiple sources. Research propositions posit that the sectoral structure, management practices, and institutional actions during and after the pandemic are predictors of recovery or continued losses. The balanced result of these three levels of analysis, in a severe crisis situation, such as the global pandemic, reveals that the combination of low institutional protection at the macro level, a hostile industry structure at the meso level, and a focus solely on economic sustainability as the primary business objective resulted in widespread resignation and put survival at risk, particularly for smaller companies and entrepreneurs. Analysis of the firms’ and stakeholders’ actions also shed light on the inter-relations, such as the negative effect of macro general policies on a fragmented, asymmetric meso level. Inter-relations among customers and firms’ behavior gave insights that could increase resilience before general critical events. Finally, the balanced results recommend a simultaneous effort from firms and policy makers to make possible a profound change while addressing the sector’s shortcomings. Firms’ effort in managing key assets, such as human capital, to acquire the capacity for the flexibility, adaptability, and innovation essential for change and renewal, must be endorsed by institutional support and customer recognition of the contributions of this singular service and cultural industry.