@article {38996, title = {Digitalization as a driver of European SMEs{\textquoteright} financial performance during COVID-19

}, journal = {Finance Research Letters}, volume = {Volume 67, Part A , September 2024, 105848}, year = {2024}, abstract = {

This paper analyzes the impact of the European economy digitalization on the financial performance of the European SMEs during COVID-19. Using a panel data from 2017 to 2022 of 12,179 European SMEs and a European transformed digitalization index, we find that financial performance of SMEs is significantly and negatively associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Digitalization of the European economy significantly increases SMEs{\textquoteright} financial performance measured by various performance measurements and mediates the COVID-19 negative effect. Digitalization is more significant during COVID-19 era compared to the pre-pandemic period. Our results are robust to alternative performance measures.

}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.105848}, author = {Georgios Savvakis and Dimitris Kenourgios and Trakadas, Panagiotis} }