The growth of cyber entrepreneurship in the food industry: virtual community engagement in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Purpose

The sustainable development goals are the plans to accomplish a recovering and more sustainable future for all. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges are more for achieving these goals by entrepreneurship. With the pandemic challenges, new technological advancements have become the foundation of an emerging form of entrepreneurship known as cyber entrepreneurship. Although a small segment of burgeoning literature on this topic has been recently tended to study cyber entrepreneurship, it offers only a partial understanding of those concepts, especially for community engagement in the food industry during the pandemic. This paper aims to explore cyber entrepreneurship in the food industry and its opportunities for entrepreneurs in epidemics such as COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

This study using a case study approach identifies and explores the fundamental aspects of cyber entrepreneurship. This study employs empirical research with a holistic overview of the existing literature to define the different forms of entrepreneurship in the current digital age, focusing on COVID-19 implications for cyber entrepreneurship.

Findings

The result of this paper provides a better understanding of a new form of entrepreneurship in cyberspace as innovative practice for firms. This study reveals that cyber entrepreneurship can develop community engagement during pandemic circumstances, such as COVID-19 in the food industry.

Originality/value

This research demonstrates entrepreneurial processes around sustainable business behaviours by focusing on community engagement. It opens a window into the exploration of cyber entrepreneurship in the food industry.

Citation

Tajvidi, R. and Tajvidi, M. (2021), "The growth of cyber entrepreneurship in the food industry: virtual community engagement in the COVID-19 era", British Food Journal, Vol. 123 No. 10, pp. 3309-3325. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-06-2020-0559