Determinants of SMEs’ strategic entrepreneurial innovative digitalization : examining the mediation role of human capital

Hossain, Md Billal (author), Rahman, Mujib Ur (author), Čater, Tomaž (author), Vasa, László (author)

Purpose - This study was inspired by research of strategists on strategic innovation (SI), aiming to provide a unique model to enhance the digitization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh to fill the gap toward a digital economy. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was used to collect data from 180 SMEs in the manufacturing industry for this research. The results indicate that strategic innovativeness (SI), human capital (HC), infrastructure and technology and resistance to change significantly influence the digitalization in Bangladesh SMEs. Findings - The link between SI and SMEs’ digitalization in Bangladesh is mediated by HC. The results show that HC plays a big role in the connection between SI and the digitalization of SMEs. This study may be valuable for SMEs managers, researchers and policymakers in Bangladesh and other developing nations, who want to learn more about SI in adopting digitalization. Originality/value - The specialized knowledge and abilities of strategists allow them to establish parallels between the past and present, enabling them to make a sustained forecast about the digital economy. This study encourages small and medium-sized businesses to develop their SI and advance their HC, which could further deject resistance to change toward enhancing and adopting digitalization in SMEs sectors.

• Language: English
• Keywords: strategy, performance, innovation, information technology, digitalization
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: In print
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171499
• UDC: 658
• ISSN on article: 1460-1060
• DOI: 10.1108/EJIM-02-2024-0176
• COBISS.SI-ID: 208130051
• Publication date in RUL: 27.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: European journal of innovation management
• Publisher: Emerald Publishing
• ISSN: 1460-1060
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4004636

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: majhna in srednja podjetja, poslovanje podjetja, inovacije, informacijska tehnologija, digitalizacija