Meaning ● Employee Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in SMBs represents an individual’s positive psychological state of development, characterized by self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience, specifically geared toward navigating the challenges and opportunities inherent in small to medium-sized business environments. Given the resource constraints common in SMBs, developing employees’ PsyCap can be particularly crucial for driving growth initiatives; high levels of hope and optimism increase commitment toward automation implementation, as well as overcoming initial implementation hurdles, as a means to achieve efficiency gains. In light of constant adaptation due to automation efforts, employees demonstrating resilience are better positioned to manage unforeseen problems during tech integration. Furthermore, the link between an employee’s self-efficacy, i.e., their perceived capacity to complete a task successfully, and business growth is quite high, whereby enhanced business performance is achievable only with employees having higher levels of confidence in their abilities. ● Optimism impacts SMB performance, by fostering a proactive stance that seeks opportunity during market shifts and facilitates adaptive strategies when implementing new automation solutions. ● An SMB’s success greatly relies on the collective PsyCap, that influences organizational culture, team dynamics, and the capacity to implement innovative practices essential for continuous business growth, as employees that have strong PsyCap will be more proactive, creative and have high engagement in projects.
