Barriers and Drivers to Business Growth and Innovativeness: Example of Polish Companies

The aim of the article is to analyse the factors and barriers affecting the growth and innovativeness of Polish enterprises. The author analysed the factors favouring and barriers limiting the growth and innovativeness of Polish enterprises, presenting the results of an empirical study conducted among 70 companies of different sizes. The sample was selected in a stratified random way, taking into account such strata as company size or section ofPKD (Polish Classification of Activities). It is a research-analytical study based on literature review, secondary data analysis and survey applying quantitative research techniques (CATI). The article thesis indicates a varying level of innovativeness of Polish companies strongly depending on the size of the company and limited development of innovation due, for example, to the lack of financial resources, insufficient research and developmentinfrastructure and poor cooperation between companies and scientific institutions. The findings also reveal that internal resources of firms such as human capital and adaptability and external factors such as regulatory stability and access to finance, are crucial for the implementation of innovation. The author concludes that effective elimination of barriers and active use of factors supporting innovativeness can significantly increase the competitiveness of Polish companies on the domestic and international markets.