PFRDG looking at “Environmental Change Due to COVID-19 and Digital Entrepreneurship”

Arvind Gudi Ph.D., Associate Professor of Decision Sciences, Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, received a President’s Faculty Research & Development Grant (PFRDG) with a project titled, “Environmental Change Due to COVID-19 and Digital Entrepreneurship”. Dr. Gudi also serves as Coach and Advisor of the Mindfulness Society.

 

Tell me briefly about your recent grant-funded project.

With the rapid development of digital technologies, we see the emergence of digital entrepreneurship which is the intersection of digital technology and entrepreneurship. In our proposed research, we seek to investigate the enabling role of environmental change for entrepreneurial pursuits, particularly digital startups. We aim to develop empirically validated theory focused on environmental change by COVID-19 and digital entrepreneurship.

In our research framework, we propose factors related to digital entrepreneurial competencies, the awareness of the consequences due to a pandemic, and how one would pursue implementation options as they strive to succeed in the entrepreneurial world. The research will be a quantitative study based on survey methodology for which we will engage Qualtrics for the data collection phase of the project.  Data analyses will be conducted using data analytical methodologies to test the hypotheses, including the moderating and mediating effects of the variables in our research.

 

Who is working with you on this project?

I am extremely fortunate to be working with a team of very talented and qualified research colleagues.  Dr. Ravi Chinta is an (external) collaborator from the University of District of Columbia. Dr. Yuliya Yurova and Dr. Kim Deranek are my NSU faculty colleagues in the Decision Sciences Department.

 

How does this project connect with your other work at NSU?

My research interests include information systems, knowledge management, healthcare, and disaster management. This project is an inter-disciplinary research stream of digital innovation, entrepreneurship, strategy, and supply chain management and will be an opportunity to expand the impact of my research. I teach courses in IS Strategy for Digital Transformation and Business Analytics and my research efforts will enhance my knowledge in this field.

 

What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?

The university grant program is an excellent opportunity to get funding for research. Workshops and instructional seminars are available to provide guidance for preparation during the application process. Try to reach out to colleagues in your field as well as other disciplines to discover avenues to do collaborative research. I am always impressed and amazed to see how creative ideas and solutions emerge when we connect across disciplines.

 

What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?

The primary objective of our research proposal is to develop empirically validated theories and concepts pertaining to the potential for digital entrepreneurship when stimulated by environmental change, in particular the Covid-19 pandemic.  We have presented the current version of our work at the NEDSI (Northeast Decision Sciences Institute) Annual Conference, Washington, DC. March 30 – April 1, 2023.  We plan to continue disseminating the results of our work at national and global conferences and prepare articles and submit to high-quality academic journals in the ABDC (Australian Business Deans Council) list.