Empowering Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in the Digital Era: Driving Business Success Through Competency and Digital Adoption

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving digital economy, women micro entrepreneurs serve as vital catalysts for inclusive economic growth and social development. However, despite various institutional support systems, many women-led micro-enterprises struggle to sustain their operations due to a critical gap between personal capabilities and technological deployment. Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV), this conceptual paper proposes a theoretical framework to examine the impact of entrepreneurial competency on the business success of women micro-entrepreneurs, measured through non-financial firm performance. This paper focuses on the mediating role of digital adoption, arguing that while entrepreneurial competency is a foundational internal resource, its influence on non-financial performance is fully realized only when channelled through active digital adoption ranging from e-commerce integration to digital payment systems. Through a synthesis of contemporary literature, a set of research propositions is formulated, asserting that digital adoption acts as a critical operational bridge. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by articulating a holistic conceptual model that extends beyond traditional financial metrics, offering actionable insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and NGOs to design targeted digital upskilling programs in the post-pandemic landscape.