Digital Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of Traditional Companies – A Case Study (Cyfrowy ekosystem przedsiebiorczosci tradycyjnych przedsiebiorstw – studium przypadku)

Purpose: The paper aims to answer the question of how the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem (DEE) shapes the activities of companies from highly traditional industries. In particular, we want to identify different types of actors from the DEE and how they foster the entrepreneurial activities of very traditional companies with a high proportion of manual labor, as well as to identify the kinds of entrepreneurial activities fostered by the DEE. Methodology: This paper applies a case study method based on the analysis of highly traditional companies in the confectionery industry that cooperate through a digital platform to sell their products. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with key informants from three companies in the confectionery industry, as well as with the provider of the digital platform, the IT supplier and a final B2B customer. Findings: The concept of DEE needs to be extended to include an analysis of two settings – digital and traditional – as both interfere with and influence entrepreneurial activities. Digital actors within the DEE play a key role in both the digital and the traditional entrepreneurial activities of highly traditional companies. Traditional actors, meanwhile, play a supporting role in the process. Additionally, the study determines the unique characteristics of the DEE, in which traditional companies are active. Originality: The paper develops the concept of the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem. The originality of the paper lies in the analysis of the DEE from the perspective of companies from a highly traditional industry. This is a novel approach towards the DEE that has not been proposed in the literature to date.