Impact of digitalization and innovation in women's entrepreneurial orientation on sustainable start-up intention

Abstract

This study explores the complex dynamics between Lebanese women entrepreneurs' Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and their propensity to launch new sustainable businesses by examining the mediating function of dynamic capabilities and the moderating influence of digitalization. Dynamic Capabilities are expected to be a crucial mechanism through which entrepreneurship orientation positively affects sustainable start-up intentions. A total of 351 Lebanese women entrepreneurs were carefully chosen to serve as the research sample. The present study used structural equation modeling (SEM), which permits a systematic examination of the interaction between the constructs, to investigate the correlations and dynamics between the variables. The findings of this research have practical implications for policymakers, business support entrepreneurs, and aspiring women entrepreneurs in Lebanon. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that drive start-up intentions among Lebanese women entrepreneurs can inform the design and implementation of targeted interventions and support mechanisms that promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the sustainable development. This article illustrates and explains how dynamic capabilities mediate the relationship between women's entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial sustainable start-up intention and how digitalization moderates the relationship between innovation and entrepreneurial start-up intention in the Lebanese context.