Conceptualization and Mapping of Predictors of Technological Entrepreneurship Growth in a Changing Economic Environment (COVID-19) from the Polish Energy Sector

Abstract

This study seeks to address the issue of the development factors influencing technological entrepreneurship capabilities of enterprises during the COVID-19 epidemic crisis. This research is particularly relevant in light of the leading role given to innovation and science-oriented technology companies in the economic and epidemiological crisis. This study aims to analyze the impact of the changing environment on the predictors of technological entrepreneurship, assess their impact by the management practice and establish a causal relationship between the used variables. The paper draws on foreign literature review, covering fundamental theoretical fields in international management literature, to develop an integrated research framework. Based on a differentiated approach, the collaborative framework emphasizes a range of network processes and attributes, their interactions and moderating managerial relationships related to their impact on companies’ technological entrepreneurship capabilities and their contribution to business outcomes. The study was conducted by means of four-wave research. The factors of models included in the correlation analysis are management functions and demand for new technology. Results show that there is a weak positive relationship between management functions and manager’s technological preferences. These findings show that during COVID-19, firms changed their management practices using digitalization to respond to the pandemic. Additionally, it shows that managers moved towards employing new technologies as a strategic response to the crisis. The results showed a mutual, two-way relationship between the demand for new technology and managers from the planning area, high level scientifically and managers with managerial functions, a quick diffusion of technological innovations and managers with the motivating function, a short lifecycle of products and processes and managers from the short lifecycle of products and processes. Taking into consideration that technology entrepreneurship and innovation are facets of the innovative entrepreneur sector, the need for a holistic approach is needed to support their development during the international economic crisis. The next practical implication derived from the crisis may hinder the ability of entrepreneurs to discover new opportunities for technology development. Moreover, an epidemic shock such as COVID-19 may have an impact on technology entrepreneurial opportunities. This article presents a new look at the theory of management by using the implementation role of predictors of the growth of technological entrepreneurship during the epidemic crisis. In addition, the article obviously contributes to the technology entrepreneurship literature by providing an empirical study that advances a new perspective on the process of developing new technologies in the period of crisis.