Innovative Behaviour of High-Tech Internationalized Firms: Survey Results from Poland

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the article is to identify and verify the relationship between internationalization and innovativeness as well as innovative behaviour of high-tech businesses in Polish context.

Research Design & Methods: A quantitative research design was employed. A survey was conducted on the sample of 263 firms operating in high-tech industries in Poland. To verify the assumed relationships statistical instruments were used, including descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariate regression.

Findings: The level of innovativeness of investigated hi-tech firms was relatively high. Results suggest that the innovativeness of a business contributes to the intensification of the internationalization process of firms operating in high-tech industries. The regression model confirms the dependence of internationalization on three innovative behaviours, such as the general evaluation of innovativeness of the firm), the pace of innovation diffusion and the number of implemented innovations.

Implications & Recommendations: Polish high-tech businesses seem to be relatively well internationalized, especially in comparisons to general business population. Policy makers should continue to support innovativeness of Polish economy, but especia­lly these industries which are highly innovative.

Contribution & Value Added: The research presented in the article seems to be one of the first in Poland investigating into internationalization and innovation in high-tech industries. The results are in line with the majority of empirical evidence worldwide. The preliminary link between innovation and internationalization among Polish high–tech businesses was confirmed.

Keywords

innovation, innovativeness, i-models, international business, internationalization, international entrepreneurship

Author Biography

Krzysztof Wach

full professor at Cracow University of Economics (Poland), full professor at the University of Social Sciences in Łódź (Poland). Professor of social sciences (2020), Habilitation (dr hab.) in economics (2013), PhD in management (2006), MSc in international economics (2001). His research interests include international business, international entrepreneurship, EU studies, entrepreneurship and innovation, family firms. Member of AIB (Academy of International Business) and EIBA (European International Business Academy). Editor-in-Chief of ‘Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review’ (Scopus, ESCI WoS). Associate Editor of various journals incl. ‘European Journal of International Management’ (SCI WoS), ‘Central European Management Journal’ (Scopus, ESCI WoS), ‘Agris on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics’ (Scopus) or ‘European Integration Studies’ (ESCI WoS). Member of the Committee for Economic Sciences of Polish Academy of Sciences (since 2020). Served as expert on entrepreneurship for the European Commission and OECD (2012-2019)