Collective Intelligence and Entrepreneurial Resilience in the Context of Covid-19

Abstract

Research on the covid-19 pandemic, conducted to date, has clearly shown its negative impact on entrepreneurs. However, there are few relevant studies on the resilience of these entrepreneurs. Even economic stimulus packages developed by governments ignore collective intelligence, which is seen as an appropriate posture and path that can lead to the resilience of entrepreneurs in unpredictable situations. Thanks to the theoretical anchoring of collaborative management, we have developed and tested a conceptual model through the approach of deconstructing collective intelligence into (i) the sharing of capacities (ii) mutual aid (iii) collective competence and (iv) dynamic capacity. The data production was carried out through 15 semi-structured interviews and 282 surveys of Cameroonian and Chadian entrepreneurs. The results showed that mutual support (β = 0.32) and ability to share (β = 0.29) are indirectly the best predictors of economic and strategic entrepreneurial resilience. Because they participate effectively in building the collective competence of entrepreneurs in a context of crisis. This collective competence positively generates the level of variation in economic resilience (β = 0.38) and that of strategic resilience (β = 0.36). These results are the manifestation that covid-19 is boosting social dialogue between entrepreneurs. On the other hand, dynamic capacity appears less effective for the entrepreneurial economic resilience (β = 0.04) and strategic entrepreneurial resilience (β = 0.02) of the entrepreneurs studied due to the measures to combat covid-19. These findings contrast with previous research focused on entrepreneurial resilience through collective intelligence. They lead us to stress the importance of continuing research on the subject and to draw comparisons between entrepreneurs in crisis situations and those working in a stable ecosystem. The article is useful for researchers who find proven evidence that is more relevant. Then entrepreneurs will find new factors to make their entrepreneurial project viable. Finally, governments and their partners are urged to further promote entrepreneurship education based on dynamic capacity at the expense of confrontation and selfishness. Our article is part of the theory of collaborative management and organizational theory and reveals the existence of a relational contingency in the different stages of the entrepreneurial resilience process.