The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and organizational resilience in the digital context

Abstract

Purpose: Based on the theory of strategic entrepreneurship, the aim of this article is to identify the relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking) and organizational resilience in the context of digital transformation of enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: Due to the gap and considerable fragmentation of research in the existing literature on organizational resilience, particularly that on the whole combination of factors influencing it, in this study a set-theoretic analysis was performed using the fuzzy- set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). The fs/QCA was used to identify previously unknown combinations of entrepreneurial orientation dimensions and digital business capability dimensions that lead to high organizational resilience. Findings: As indicated by the results of the conducted research, three different configurations are leading to high organizational resilience (digital-driven, digital and entrepreneurial orientation-driven, entrepreneurial orientation-driven). Moreover, it is impossible to create high organizational resilience driven by only one condition. Research limitations/implications: The study was narrowed down to one selected strategic orientation hence future research can be extended to different levels and theoretical perspectives. To generalize the results and increase the level of universality, a larger research sample from multiple industries and regions can also be analyzed. Practical implications: The study provides an important reference for companies to strengthen organizational resilience in the context of digital transformation. It pointed out that an entrepreneurial orientation can promote organizational resilience but requires managers to break the routine and focus on spreading the entrepreneurial spirit in the organization, creating a shared vision among individuals and improving employee creativity. Originality/value: The paper explains the mechanism of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and organizational resilience from the perspective of digitization. The findings are relevant to the development of strategic entrepreneurship theory and provide implications for building the resilience of SMEs. Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation, digital business capability, organizational resilience, digital transformation, fs/QCA. Category of the paper: research paper.