The role of the information and communication technologies in the institutional and economic sustainability of the post-pandemic small and medium enterprises

This paper focuses on the factors that determine the institutional and economic sustainability of the post -pandemic small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In addition, it assesses the role of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and digitalization in the creation and maintaining of sustainable SMEs during and after the COVID-19 crisis of 2020-2021. Our research is based on the unique sample of surveys collected in 200 Russian SMEs from seven different regions of the country between June and October 2022 and on the empirical model that employed this data. Our results allowed us to distinguish the nature of the impact of an external environment on the socio-economic stability of SMEs and to identify the institutional and economic factors that can hinder or contribute to their sustainable development in the post-pandemic period. These results can be used to build strategies for sustainable development at the regional level both in Russia and other countries. Our findings can be useful to managers and owners of small and medium-sized businesses in the process of integrating the goals of organizational and regional development, as well as for ensuring the networking of government, social organizations, and business at the regional level in the post-COVID era.