DigEntre - The course of field research through in-depth phenomenological interviewing of entrepreneurs

The aim of this activity is to examine the vulnerabilities of companies in the context of crisis business conditions and the characteristics of the digitization process as a response to the crisis from the level of the entrepreneurs' lived experience, and to develop an understanding of drivers and obstacles for business digitization.

The research plan envisages that 45 entrepreneurs, directors or presidents of active companies in the Republic of Croatia, whose main activity is within the processing industry, trade and tourism sector, who belong to the category of micro, small and medium enterprises, will participate in the qualitative research.

The members of the project team, Ivana Dvorski Lacković, Ph.D., and Tamara Šmaguc, Ph.D., have so far conducted a total of 17 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs from Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula, Varaždin, Koprivnica, Žminj, Barban, Svetvinčenat and Viškov. In the structure of the interviewed companies, nine belong to the processing industry, five to commerce and three to tourism. The interviews were carried out through field work, mostly through visits to entrepreneurs and companies. The average duration of the interviews is 60 minutes.

The project, which began its activities on December 18, 2023, is financed by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ), under the number IP-2022-10-6703, in the amount of 119,449.81 euros. The anticipated period of project implementation is 4 years, that is, until December 17, 2027.