Neo-SMFRI Index ranking for single motherpreneurs facing the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

The Neo-Single Motherpreneurs Financial Management and Resources Resilience Index (Neo-SMFRI) assessed the capability of single motherpreneurs in facing a pandemic. Ultimately, it aimed to offer a significant instrument to combat any financial risk. This study examined the Neo-SMEFRI ranking, which explained the differences in resilience levels among single motherpreneurs across Malaysian states. The study included 13 states in Malaysia: Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, from 2022 to 2023. The Neo-SMEFRI utilized indicators from four areas, entrepreneurial financial literacy, financial knowledge, self-efficacy, and resilience to assess single mothers' ability to adapt to and recover from unexpected environmental changes. This study combined the scores of these four key indicators into one overall score. The Neo-SMFRI was aggregated by category and then by a weighted category average. Developed with input from single motherpreneurs, strategic experts, academia, practitioners/government agencies, and non-governmental organizations, the Neo-SMEFRI used 22 indicators to identify the pandemic preparedness, mitigation, and recovery needs of single motherpreneurs. Future research might investigate other elements contributing to the disparity in resilience levels among Malaysian states and compare the findings.