How Women Entrepreneurs Adopt Digital Technology for Business Development?
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Abstract
Digital transformation has encouraged businesses to digitize, including those owned by women. In practice, women entrepreneurs are often perceived as lacking digital competency. Gender stereotypes create inequality, with women entrepreneurs often perceived as lacking digital literacy. Studies on traditional entrepreneurship even explain how women entrepreneurs are often perceived as less competent, thus limiting access to capital, networks, and markets. This study aims to explore technology adoption by women entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. The research was conducted qualitatively using in-depth interviews (IDI) as data collection methods. Multiple case studies were applied, involving women entrepreneurs from various business backgrounds. Data analysis was conducted thematically and identified three main themes: motivational drivers of technology adoption, digital capability, and social-gendered challenges. Motivational drivers of technology adoption discuss why women entrepreneurs adopt technology. Meanwhile, digital competency relates to how women entrepreneurs learn digital technology. Furthermore, social-gendered challenges address the impact of society, family, and social relations on their businesses.
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