The Influence Of Digitalisation On Women Entrepreneurship Performance: The Moderating Effect Of Age And Educational Level

Abstract

Entrepreneurship digitalisation is a powerful tool of boosting business performance. However, little is known about how digitalisation can enhance women entrepreneurship ventures. In this study, by building upon the Technology Acceptance Model we address that gap by investigating how entrepreneurship digitalisation dimensions (perceived usefulness of digital technology, perceived ease of use of digital technology and voluntariness on the use of digital technology) enhance women entrepreneurship performance. The variables are moderated by age and level of education. Being guided by the positivism philosophy, researchers collected data using a structured questionnaire and the data were analysed using the Structural modelling equation in SPSS V25, and in AmosV25. The present study used a sample size of 200 women entrepreneurs. Convenience sampling was used to select respondents who participated in the cross-sectional survey. A self-administered structured Likert type scale questionnaire was used to collect data. The study found that perceived usefulness of digital technology, perceived ease of use of digital technology and voluntariness on the use of digital technology influence women entrepreneurship performance. The study found that the effect of entrepreneurship digitalisation on women entrepreneurship performance is stronger in young than in older women. It was also found that the effect of entrepreneurship digitalisation on women entrepreneurship performance is stronger in highly educated than in less educated women. Studies that have investigated the influence of entrepreneurship digitalisation on women entrepreneurship performance in an emerging economy like Zimbabwe are scarce. Thus, the current study was conducted to further the understanding of the inclusion of entrepreneurship digitalisation in the performance of women entrepreneurship businesses.