The Catalytic Role of Entrepreneurship Digitalisation in Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurial Performance: Evidence from Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study aimed to develop a contextualised entrepreneurship digitalisation model to enhance the performance of women-led enterprises in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe. Grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2), the research employed a positivist paradigm and a quantitative design. A purposive sample of 950 women entrepreneurs was drawn from an estimated population of 20,000 using judgmental sampling techniques to ensure the inclusion of information-rich cases. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS® v22 for descriptive statistics and AMOS® v21 for structural equation modelling (SEM). To complement SEM and address its limitations, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was employed for predictive validation, detection of non-linear patterns, and ranking of variable importance, thus enhancing robustness through methodological triangulation. The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, prior digital experience, and voluntariness significantly and positively influence digital adoption, which in turn has a direct impact on entrepreneurial performance. Notably, past experience with digital tools, even informally, was a strong predictor of digital engagement, which points to the potential of incremental exposure strategies (e.g., mobile money, online ordering) to foster deeper adoption. The study also identifies language barriers as a critical constraint, underscoring the need for localised digital platforms in indigenous languages such as Shona, Ndebele, Chewa, Kalanga, Tonga, and Venda to ensure inclusivity. Importantly, the study integrates moderating variables—education level and age—to examine how these demographic factors influence the relationship between digitalisation and entrepreneurial performance. This novel inclusion addresses a critical gap in existing literature, where such interactions have largely been overlooked in studies on women entrepreneurs in developing economies. Based on these findings, the study recommends a multi-pronged policy approach: enhancing digital literacy, improving access to affordable ICT tools and internet, designing age- and education-sensitive support interventions, promoting gender-inclusive digitalisation policies, expanding digital infrastructure, and integrating digital and entrepreneurial education at early childhood levels. The research contributes significantly to the entrepreneurship and technology adoption literature, offering practical implications for policymakers, NGOs, and development practitioners seeking to leverage digitalisation as a catalyst for women's economic empowerment in emerging contexts.