Unveiling the drivers of digital intrapreneur behavior in the Peruvian mining sector: Insights from the employees’ perceptions

Despite the growing emphasis on digital transformation in the global mining industry, intrapreneurial engagement among employees remains uneven. As digital intrapreneurship is still an emerging concept, its theoretical and empirical foundations continue to evolve. This study contributes to developing the literature by exploring digital intrapreneurial behavior from the perspective of employees in the Peruvian mining sector. Using a K-means approach, three distinct employee segments were identified based on their perceptions of Individual, Situational, Organizational, Intrapreneurial Work Practices, and Digital Technology dimensions influencing digital intrapreneurship. Notably, employees who perceived the strongest environmental support reported the least intrapreneurial activity, while those with moderate or limited perceptions about their environment demonstrated greater initiative. Regression results reinforced this pattern: the individual dimension emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor across intrapreneurial stages, whereas the organizational dimension showed negative associations. These findings challenge conventional assumptions about the role of support structures, highlighting the importance of individual agency and awareness of constraints. The results offer actionable insights for designing targeted strategies to foster sustainable digital intrapreneurial behavior in Peru’s mining industry.