A Survey Report on the Business Continuity Management and Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic of Listed Companies in the Kinki Region

Abstract

An infectious disease pandemic is one of the biggest risks of business continuity management for profit companies. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey for listed companies in the Kinki region to analyze the response and challenges to the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As a result, before the outbreak of the COVID-19, less than 40% of the companies had a plan to deal with infectious diseases. In the COVID-19 pandemic, "lack of masks and disinfectants" and "lack of information on infectivity and virulence" were indicated as major challenges in response. The outbreak triggered changes in the way employees work, such as telecommuting, staggered work hours, and alternative commuting, in order to prevent infection.