Competitive Environment Research Articles

The Relationship Between Parental Autonomy Support, Psychological Control, and Academic Adaptation of Middle School Students: The Mediation of Parent-child Relationship and Self-efficacy

In the current contemporary competitive social environment, the academic adaptation (AA) is crucial to personal growth and future development. Many studies have shown that family parenting styles (PSs) significantly impact the academic adaptation. Nonetheless, the existing comprehension of the underlying mechanisms by which parental autonomy support (AS) and psychological control (PC) within family parenting styles influence the academic adjustment of middle school adolescents remains insufficiently elucidated. Therefore, this study explored in depth the influencing mechanism of parental AS, PC, and AA of middle school kids, while analyzing the mediators, i.e., parent-child interactions and self-efficacy (SE). The study results found that parental AS positively influenced academic adaption, whereas PC negatively affected it. The parent-child relationship and SE served as mediators in the relationship between the two variables. This study could be beneficial to improving family PSs and promoting the academic growth of middle school kids, while also emphasizing the significance of building positive parent-child bonds and enhancing students' SE in family parenting.

Finding purpose of life through K’aat-Kaizen in higher education institution’s students: a mixed study in Mexico

PurposeThe educational environment in the twenty-first century has evolved by leaps and bounds in the last four years after COVID-19 pandemic. The concern of quality of student’s learning has increased in the last few years derived from the international accreditations and the global competitive environment among the same, some reasons why student learning have decreased have been stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and eating disorder in different countries as Spain, Mexico and England. In this manner, theoretical frameworks of Individual Kaizen such as the Japanese Ikigai (reason for being in life) or the Mexican and Latin American K’aat-Kaizen (purpose and vision of life) seem that they help this environment. The purpose of this research is to explore how the Kaizen individual model as is the K’aat-Kaizen can help HEIs students in Mexico to find a possible purpose of life that helps them to improve their learning in their university careers.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology of the study was mixed, a quantitative questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were developed and a K’aat-Kaizen Report diary was applied to a group of third and fourth year university students of International Business at the University of the Americas Puebla in Mexico (Private University).FindingsAccording to the results of the mixed research, it is feasible to indicate that an individual Kaizen framework (K’aat-Kaizen) can be applied to undergraduate students of a HEI with positive results. The theoretical sample of 12 students (male and female) allowed to observe a quantitative and qualitative progress of the K’aat-Kaizen framework in its pillars that behaved as vectors of emotional strength. Finally, another important conclusion is that the K’aat-Kaizen brought the students into an environment of harmony (without stress) in the classroom and while they learn they discover their purpose in life, having quality of life in their university environment.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has several limitations, one of them, is the fact that this is a first approach to applying K’aat-Kaizen and that much more research work is needed with a larger sample, and although we have Mexican and French students, it is necessary to extend it to a wider range of samples both in other Mexican universities and abroad. Finally, although mixed research is robust, it is required to work on more data collection methods, maybe a longitudinal approach to see results over time, because with little time it was not possible to identify the mushin-no-shin (do tasks without thinking) in the students.Originality/valueFirst article exploring the implementation of an individual Kaizen framework (the K’aat-Kaizen) to help students find a life purpose to enhance their learning and classroom experience.

Quality Costing: A Key Tool for Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Efficiency

Quality costing, also known as the Cost of Quality (COQ), is a strategic framework that helps organizations manage and improve the quality of their products and services while minimizing operational inefficiencies. In today's competitive business environment, ensuring high quality is not just an option but a necessity for organizations aiming to build customer loyalty and a strong market reputation. This paper delves into the critical components of quality costing, which include prevention costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs, and external failure costs, each contributing to a comprehensive approach for managing quality-related expenses. Prevention costs are incurred to avoid defects before they occur, while appraisal costs focus on evaluating and inspecting products to ensure they meet quality standards. Internal failure costs arise from defects found before products reach customers, whereas external failure costs result from defects discovered after the product has been delivered to the customer, potentially damaging the organization’s reputation. Beyond its immediate financial benefits, quality costing facilitates informed decision-making by providing data that helps organizations assess quality risks and prioritize improvements. It plays a crucial role in reducing risks associated with product failures, thus enhancing competitive advantage in a highly dynamic market. Moreover, this paper explores various methods for measuring COQ, emphasizing that accurate measurement is key to realizing the full benefits of this tool. It also offers recommendations on how businesses can leverage quality costing to drive continuous improvement, foster innovation, and promote sustainability in their operations.

Comparison of opportunities and perceptions towards neurosurgery between the public and private sector in Pakistan: a national survey of medical students and recent graduates.

Public and private medical institutes must adhere to the same standards of quality set by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC). However, studies have noted varied learning environments. The current study aims to assess opportunities and compare the differences in perceptions between the two sectors. An online survey was conducted among medical students, interns, and medical officers across Pakistan. Respondents were divided into two groups: private and public sector and the survey responses of the two groups were compared. Descriptive statistical analyses of responses were performed, and a chi-square test was used to obtain the p-values. 2,481 responses were collected (48.6% public vs 51.3% private sector). A higher proportion of public sector respondents reported neurosurgery within their curriculum (71.2% public, 58.9% private) ( p < 0.001), while a greater proportion of private sector respondents had less exposure to neurosurgery clerkships (58.5% public, 71.9% private). A higher proportion from the private sector reported that sufficient mentorship opportunities (38.3% private, 29.5% public) (p < 0.001) were provided by their medical college. More private sector respondents reported lack of work-life balance (39.5% public, 42.4% private), competitive work environment (55.9% public, 61.3% private) (p < 0.001) and financial burden (67.3% private, 60.8% public) (p < 0.001) as major barriers towards pursuing neurosurgery. Our study outlines key areas for improvement from the perspective of the learners themselves. These include increasing exposure to neurosurgery in medical colleges and affiliated hospitals and improving post-graduate training among all sectors. Addressing these concerns of the medical students, interns, recent graduates and medical officers can foster the pursuit of neurosurgery as a career in Pakistan. It is crucial to further investigate medical education in Pakistan and study differences in the public and private education sector globally.

Enhancing intelligent marketing systems: a multi-layer hypernetwork approach integrating evidence theory for influential node identification

PurposeThis study proposes an intelligent marketing system model based on a combination of multi-layer hypernetworks and evidence theory, aiming to address the shortcomings of traditional marketing models in accurately identifying key nodes. We propose a new method to improve the accuracy and response speed of intelligent marketing systems by combining evidence theory with multi-layer hypernetworks. We conducted an experiment using a certain car brand (SUV) as an example, which has a wide customer base in both domestic and international markets and has branches in multiple countries. By analyzing its sales data and user behavior, we evaluated the potential reduction in advertising costs and improvement in user satisfaction that may result from adopting this model.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model begins with the development of a user interest model, which is subsequently converted into a user label model based on user behavior and a rating matrix. A multi-layer aggregation hypernetwork is then constructed to define the network’s topology. An identification framework is established using evidence theory, and the Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence combination method is applied to integrate local, positional and global network indicators. Simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the model’s performance.FindingsThis study proposes an intelligent marketing system model that integrates multi-layer hypernetworks with Dempster–Shafer evidence theory to address the limitations of traditional marketing models in identifying influential nodes. The proposed model is tested in the automotive industry, specifically using sales and user behavior data from a well-known SUV brand operating globally. This industry provides a complex and competitive environment ideal for validating the model’s ability to improve marketing precision. The results demonstrate that the model significantly enhances the accuracy of key node identification, reduces advertising costs by 10–15% and improves customer satisfaction scores to over 90%. Furthermore, preliminary experiments in the retail and e-commerce sectors highlight the model’s adaptability and potential for broader application. By combining local, positional and global indicators, the model effectively optimizes marketing strategies, providing a novel framework for intelligent decision-making in diverse industries. This study selected a well-known SUV car brand as the experimental subject. This brand mainly sells SUV models and has a wide customer base worldwide. Its products are known for their high performance and reliability. The brand has millions of customers, and its main markets include North America, Europe and Asia. It has branches in multiple countries and has significant international influence. According to publicly available data, the brand’s annual revenue reaches billions of dollars.Originality/valueThe main contribution of the research is the proposal of a novel intelligent marketing optimization framework based on multi-layer hypernetworks and evidence theory, which can effectively solve the problems of data silos and information asymmetry faced in traditional marketing systems.

Project EU-Africa: Changes of Strategy in Competitive Environment

The aim of this article is to identify changes in the priorities of the EU’s African strategy, seeking to maintain its position on the continent in light of competition from such actors as the United States and China, as well as to trace the evolution of the relations formats and influence of integration processes on the EU-Africa relations model. The authors use complex interdisciplinary approach, narrative methods and comparative analysis to determine new trends in EU cooperation with African countries including transition to multilateralism and regionalization; applying elements of integration and external Europeanization as convergence and incorporation of procedures, practices and norms in cooperation projects in Africa, using “soft power” instruments; policy of “equal partnership” and politicization of EU-Africa relations. However, the effectiveness of Europeanization as a replication of the European value system and democratic transition in African countries with other civilizational norms is very limited, so EU countries follow institutional logic in their relations with them. The authors underscore that the process of regional integration in Africa is one of the results of deepening cooperative interactions against the backdrop of its continuing asymmetry, also being an important difference of EU-Africa project from other cooperative models. Asymmetry manifests in economic relations, especially trade agreements, recognition of equal partnership, different positions in new world order, intra-country development differences and financial and labor force abilities of African countries. Equally relevant is the analysis of EU competition with the USA and China in Africa, identifying its specific traits in cooperation with the continent, and future prospects of the EU cooperation with African countries under the new realities and possible shortcomings of a new EU-Africa project.

Financial performance evaluation of firms in BIST 100 index with ITARA and COBRA methods

Evaluating firms’ financial performance is important for survival in the competitive environment arising from technological advancements and gaining a competitive advantage. This study aims to assess the financial performances of firms traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange 100 Index (Borsa Istanbul (BIST) 100 Index) between 2018 and 2022 using an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. This is the first study to use a new combined approach proposed based on the indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis (ITARA) and cost estimation, benchmarking, and risk assessment (COBRA) methods, which have not been applied to corporate performance assessment. The ITARA method is used to find the weights of the criteria, and the ranking of the firms in terms of financial performance is obtained using the COBRA method. The results show that the firms with the highest financial performance are ISMEN, ALGYO, PGSUS, KOZAA, and IPEKE. The companies with the lowest financial performance are AKFGY, BAGFS, MGROS, KOZAL, and GOZDE. The results of this ranking provide important information for firms to recognize their position and for investors who want to invest in firms in the BIST 100 Index. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are performed to assess the impact of changes in the criteria on the ranking of the firms and to validate the results of the proposed method. A comparative analysis is made with different MCDM methods like the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) methods and Spearman’s rank correlation test results are presented. This approach leads to the conclusion that the proposed approach can be a useful and effective tool for assessing the financial performance of firms.

The Dynamics of Ethical Leadership Enhance Customer Orientation in a Competitive Marketplace

Purpose: This study explores ethical leadership dynamics (humane, justice, and moderation leadership) that strengthen customer orientation (CO) under competition environments within Australia. This study seeks to deepen the understanding of how leadership behaviors affect CO at different stages of competitive intensity.Methods: A quantitative approach using survey data collected from 700 managers in a variety of industries in Australia. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed, as well as interaction analysis to assess competitive intensity as a moderator.Results: All three ethical leadership styles significantly promote CO, and moderation leadership is more significantly and positively related to CO than the other two leadership styles. The competitive intensity adds an extra layer to these effects, highlighting that competitive and dynamic contexts make leadership behaviors vital. Synergistic relationships among leadership styles, CO, and competitive intensity are illustrated in interaction plots.Novelty: Previous research examined mostly not all ethical leadership in isolation and this study integrates several ethical leadership styles to understand their collective and individual effects on CO. Moreover, this study expands understanding regarding the dynamics of leadership in the context of real-world competition by introducing competitive intensity as a contextual moderator.Implications: The study provides actionable insights for organizations seeking to develop customer-centric organizations. Leadership training programs should focus on ethical leadership behaviors, especially in highly competitive industries. On an academic front, this research fills the void in literature by showing the metanarrative of the role between ethical leadership styles and environmental aspects.

Enhancing organizational performance through fintech innovation: a multi-dimensional analysis of healthcare projects in Africa

This communication explores the factors driving the continuous adoption of digital technologies and fintech innovations in healthcare services in Africa, with a particular emphasis on task-technology fit. By analyzing task-technology alignment within healthcare projects, the study seeks to provide insights into how fintech can enhance organizational performance, supported by effective training programs and government involvement. To assess the scope of fintech in healthcare services, particularly in World Bank-financed projects in Africa, the paper employs a multi-dimensional approach that examines key indicators across four critical dimensions: technology, economy, and environment. Using Principal Component Analysis, the research evaluates fintech development at two key stages of digital transformation investment and development phases allowing for a nuanced examination of the interactions and synergies that shape fintech evolution. Data analysis is conducted using R software to ensure robust and accurate insights. The findings reveal that fintech enhances organizational performance through cost savings, improved transparency, innovative business model creation, and optimized service supply chains. Moreover, fintech facilitates operational adaptation, boosts connectivity, and increases agility in a competitive and complex environment, enabling organizations to operate more efficiently and maintain a competitive edge. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive assessment of fintech's impact on healthcare services within the context of World Bank-financed projects in Africa, highlighting the significance of task-technology fit in enhancing organizational performance and offering valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers looking to leverage fintech for improved healthcare outcomes.

Embedding Growth and Maturation Analyses Into the Talent Development Pathways of Youth Weightlifters

ABSTRACT Growth and maturation have a significant influence on naturally occurring changes in performance, training-induced adaptations, injury risk, and psychosocial development and should, therefore, be important considerations within talent identification and development pathways for young weightlifters. Key stakeholders in youth weightlifting require an understanding of growth and maturation to support the long-term development of athletes and ensure that future potential is considered rather than making judgments based on enhanced physical qualities synonymous with advanced stages of maturation. This article considers methods of assessing biological maturation and growth rates and then explores how weightlifting performance can be influenced by growth and maturation. The article is accompanied by an Excel template to estimate maturity status and timing. Finally, recommendations are offered to help practitioners embed growth and maturation analysis within youth weightlifting pathways to enhance performance, reduce injury risk, and create optimal training and competition environments.

Innovation management and nanotechnology: a PRISMA-based analysis and research implications

Purpose Innovation management in nanotechnology entails the strategic supervision of the entire process of creating and executing novel concepts, technologies and products at the nanoscale. By efficiently overseeing innovation in nanotechnology, organizations can leverage the revolutionary capabilities of nanomaterials and nanodevices to develop state-of-the-art solutions, improve their competitive edge and tackle global issues. Bibliometric studies are scarce related to the field of innovation management and nanotechnology. The purpose of this study is to assess the existing knowledge pertaining to the keywords, innovation management and nanotechnology and identify potential research implications for the future. Design/methodology/approach This study has been conducted systematically using the revolutionary PRISMA methodology. Research articles (46) were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases using the keywords “Nanotechnology” and “Innovation Management” and 22 articles were systematically selected. VOSviewer software was used to conduct keyword co-occurrence analysis to identify under explored research areas. Findings By integrating the principles of lean production into innovation management practices in nanotechnologies, organizations can enhance their processes, promote continuous improvement, create value for customers and enhance their ability to innovate effectively in a competitive and dynamic environment. Examining the management of innovation in nanotechnology has revealed the potential to alter the future trajectory of technological advancement worldwide. Originality/value This research provides a new perspective on the combination of innovation management and nanotechnology, integrating lean production principles. This study uses a systematic bibliometric analysis to discover underexplored research areas and highlights the potential for transformation.

The Relationship between Business Intelligence and Sustainable Human Resources

The research explores the relationship between Business Intelligence (BI) and Sustainable Human Resource Management (Sustainable HRM), focusing on how BI tools enhance HR practices and contribute to organizational sustainability. As organizations strive for sustainable growth, the integration of BI with Sustainable HRM emerges as a critical strategy. The study addresses the gap in literature concerning the integration of BI in HRM and evaluates how BI-driven insights can improve HR decision-making, thereby enhancing organizational performance. The research questions focus on the dependencies between BI and HR, exploring the ways in which BI influences HR practices and sustainability outcomes. This study examines how BI aids in decision-making processes by providing comprehensive data analytics, thus fostering a dynamic and competitive business environment. Additionally, Sustainable HRM aligns HR practices with long-term organizational goals, emphasizing social responsibility, environmental care, and economic viability. Findings indicate that BI significantly enhances HR practices by providing data-driven insights that improve recruitment, training, and overall workforce management. However, challenges remain in aligning BI with HR strategies due to cultural and technological gaps. The study concludes that effective integration of BI into Sustainable HRM can lead to improved organizational sustainability, offering prescriptive advice for HR professionals to leverage BI tools for strategic decision-making. This research contributes to the fields of BI and HRM by demonstrating the critical role of BI in fostering sustainable HR practices, thereby promoting long-term organizational success

Balancing limited resources in actin network competition.

In cells, multiple actin networks coexist in a dynamic manner. These networks compete for a common pool of actin monomers and actin-binding proteins. Interestingly, all of these networks manage to coexist despite the strong competition for resources. Moreover, the coexistence of networks with various strengths is key to cell adaptation to external changes. However, a comprehensive view of how these networks coexist in this competitive environment, where resources are limited, is still lacking. To address this question, we used a reconstituted system, in closed microwells, consisting of beads propelled by actin polymerization or micropatterns functionalized with lipids capable of initiating polymerization close to a membrane. This system enabled us to build dynamic actin architectures, competing for a limited pool of proteins, over a period of hours. We demonstrated the importance of protein turnover for the coexistence of actin networks, showing that it ensures resource distribution between weak and strong networks. However, when competition becomes too intense, turnover alone is insufficient, leading to a selection process that favors the strongest networks. Consequently, we emphasize the importance of competition strength, which is defined by the turnover rate, the amount of available protein, and the number of competing structures. More generally, this work illustrates how turnover allows biological populations with various competition strengths to coexist despite resource constraints.

Biomechanically-informed emotion recognition algorithm of sports athletes based on deep neural network

The environment of sports competition is changing rapidly, and there is a certain relationship between athletes’ decision-making and executive functions and athletes’ emotions. Positive emotions can enhance reaction inhibition, while negative emotions will damage the inhibition function. Therefore, identifying the emotions of athletes in sports competitions can help coaches quickly grasp the emotional state of athletes, so as to make targeted decisions. With the advent of the era of big data and the continuous in-depth development of deep neural networks, the emergence of various networks and network models has not only made rational use of a large amount of data, but also promoted the continuous development of emotion recognition. This paper takes the research on the emotion recognition algorithm of sports athletes as the object, uses the faster CNN network to recognize the facial emotion, modifies the backbone network model and loss function parameters in the network, selects the best performing network through comparative experiments, and applies it to the research field of emotion recognition algorithm of sports athletes. While understanding the emotional state of athletes in sports competitions, it lays a solid foundation for the follow-up study of athletes’ emotional recognition algorithm in sports competitions. The main research contents of this paper are as follows: firstly, this paper selects data sets with different characteristics, classifies them according to the status of athletes in sports competitions, and labels the data sets. Secondly, Fast Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks (R-CNN) is used to train the labeled data set and obtain the model, and compare the accuracy in different model and loss function parameter conditions. Finally, according to the experimental comparison results, the network with the highest accuracy is selected and applied to the research of athletes’ emotion recognition algorithm in sports competitions.

Constructing a servicescape quality scale for amusement parks in Taiwan

In response to the growing demand for enhanced visitor experiences in a more competitive environment, this study aims to develop a Servicescape Quality Scale specifically for Taiwanese amusement parks. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research begins by identifying key servicescape attributes through focus group discussions and expert interviews. We then validated these key servicescape attributes through surveys from 300 visitors across 24 leading amusement parks, ensuring the reliability and relevance of the scale. The result validates five critical dimensions that shape the servicescape: aesthetics, ambient conditions (or surrounding environment), space function, wayfinding, and cleanliness. These dimensions are crucial in influencing visitors' satisfaction and eliciting behavioral responses such as revisiting and recommending the park. These findings serve as a crucial framework for amusement parks to assess and enhance their service environments, potentially leading to significant improvements in the overall visitor experience. By focusing on these dimensions, park managers would attain focused improvements that are closer to the expectations of the visitors, thus securing significant gains within the respective service landscapes. In addition, park managers can use the scale as a diagnostic tool to pinpoint potential shortcomings. In addition, the scale allows benchmarking at a wider industry or competitive level. The hypothesized result, given the aforesaid Servicescape Quality Scale, should translate into visitors' satisfaction, repeat patronage, and long-term customer loyalty—all factors that sustain the profitability of the amusement parks within Taiwan.

Ways to Successfully Develop and Manage a Business in the Transport Sector in a Competitive Environment

Ways to Successfully Develop and Manage a Business in the Transport Sector in a Competitive Environment

Enhancing Talent Retention of TVET Colleges’ Lecturers through Specific Talent Management Dimensions

"Talent management (TM) is a critical strategic issue for higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa (SA) given its impact on institutional performance, however, retaining academic talent remains a challenge in this highly competitive work environment. This study aimed to investigate talent retention (TR) of lecturers through specific TM dimensions (i.e., talent training and development (TT&amp;D), performance management (PM), and compensation) at public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in the North West province, SA. A quantitative research approach was adopted, employing a cross-sectional study that collected data from 124 lecturers using self-completed questionnaires. This study’s results revealed that a substantial number of respondents were considering leaving their employment, citing dissatisfaction with TT&amp;D, PM, compensation, and TR practices at public TVET colleges. A high positive correlation between TT&amp;D and TR, and between compensation and TR, and a moderate positive correlation between PM and TR were established in this study. Policymakers and practitioners can refer to the findings of this study to better understand and improve TR through enhanced TT&amp;D, PM, and compensation practices. Strategic development of policies intended for improving TT&amp;D, PM, compensation, and TR practices at public TVET colleges is thus highlighted. "

Selective separation of Am(iii)/Eu(iii) using heterocyclic bistriazolyl phosphonate grafted zirconia and titania solid phase extractants

Porous zirconia and titania surfaces were covalently functionalized with bistriazolylpyridine- and thiophene phosphonates to afford efficient solid phase extractants. The hybrids clearly favoured Am over Eu in a competitive sorption environment.

The impact of strategic management on organizational creativity and its influence on the financial performance of SMEs

PURPOSE: This research intends to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) to understand the strategic management process. The study considers an inside-and an outside-in perspective and the intermediary role of organizational creativity in financial performance. It also aims to help SMEs achieve financial performance benchmarks and work towards sustainable development goals. This research is also significant and adds value to the performance management domain. Its overarching objective is to promote long-term business expansion through an exploration of the strategic management process and how organizational creativity and financial performance can be supported. METHODOLOGY: The sample data are collected from 411 SMEs in HCMC using convenience sampling. The data are rigorously screened and cleaned to select a reliable sample for analysis, and Smart PLS software is employed for data analysis to achieve the study’s outcomes. FINDINGS: Factors such as the strategic management process, an inside-out perspective, an outside-in perspective, and the intermediary role of organizational creativity positively impact the financial performance of Vietnamese SMEs in HCMC. IMPLICATIONS: The results show that SMEs are making changes and influencing these factors to improve financial performance. This research contributes value and provides a holistic perspective on the strategic management process for Vietnamese SMEs in HCMC to improve financial performance. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The study offers insight into strategic management and highlights the pivotal role of creativity in managing the financial performance of enterprises. The overarching goal is to achieve sustainable development in an increasingly competitive environment. The study also provides a solid foundation for SME managers to restructure their operations for enhanced financial performance. It also offers valuable insights for future scholars to consider and apply in expanding available research models.

MSME digitalization: How are social capital factors in encouraging the use of digital applications?

This research explores the impact of social capital on the adoption of digital applications within Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). In the current competitive environment, embracing digitalization is essential for improving the competitiveness of MSMEs; however, challenges such as weak social networks can impede technology uptake. Utilizing a quantitative approach, the study distributed questionnaires to 160 MSME participants, with data analysed through path analysis using SmartPLS. The findings indicate that social capital—which includes relationships, networks, and trust among business stakeholders—plays a critical role in facilitating access to and adoption of digital applications. Results suggest that MSMEs with strong social networks are more adept at integrating digital technologies, fostering innovation, and improving overall business performance. The study recommends initiatives to enhance collaboration and strengthen social networks among MSMEs to support their digitalization efforts. Ultimately, this research deepens the understanding of social capital's influence on MSME digitalization and offers practical strategies for stakeholders to increase the utilization of digital applications in this sector.