Entrepreneurship and Work in the Gig Economy: The Case of the Western Balkans

The crisis caused by COVID-19 poses a major challenge for the global economy and business. It has been a test for economic resilience, and how this crisis will affect business activities will be determined by their competitiveness. Only firms that have succeeded in reorienting and quickly adapting to the emerging crisis have continued without interruption in their operations, thus demonstrating their flexibility and high level of resilience.

Research shows that companies driving the gig economy celebrate the benefits: flexibility, additional income, freedom and other various opportunities for workers. They require entrepreneurial digital skills that improve their competitiveness and benefit not only themselves but the economy as well. Therefore, digital competencies are becoming a significant resource and precondition for employment, and it is essential to promote digital entrepreneurial skills, introducing them into education programs through different forms of education. This book stresses and explores the importance of synergy between industry and virtual universities. Considering the importance of these issues, this book draws together literature on globalization and small and medium enterprise development and internationalization from disparate sources into a cohesive body of work, which traces the evolution of entrepreneurship and our understanding of the topic. It investigates the impact of digitalization on creating job opportunities in the labor market.

Covering social, economic and psychological approaches to the most current topics, this book will be a useful framework to new theories and practices that are emerging to challenge conventional wisdom. It will be of interest to scholars, upper-level students, and researchers involved in the field of entrepreneurship.