Modeling Digital Entrepreneurial Resilience in IoT-Integrated Solar SMEs: A PLS-SEM Approach
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study investigates the antecedents of Digital Entrepreneurial Resilience (DER) among rural SME founders operating within IoT-integrated solar energy ecosystems in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh. Grounded in Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship (KSTE), Digital Entrepreneurship Theory (DET), and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), a theoretically integrated model is developed and empirically tested using PLS-SEM via SmartPLS 4.0. Data was collected from 388 rural SME founders through stratified random sampling. Three independent variables — Knowledge Spillover (KS), Digital Financial Readiness (DFR), and Climate Risk Perception (CRP) are examined alongside Absorptive Capacity (AC) and Eco-Innovation Intention (EII) as dual mediators, and Technological Turbulence (TT) as a moderator. Results indicate that DFR (β = 0.116, p = 0.041) and CRP (β = 0.219, p = 0.001) positively and significantly predict DER, while KS exerts influence exclusively through AC-mediated pathways (β = 0.048, p = 0.046). AC mediates both KS→DER and DFR→DER (β = 0.116, p = 0.002), while EII mediates CRP→DER (β = 0.108, p = 0.005). The model achieves R2= 0.767, explaining 76.7% of variance in DER. The moderation effect of TT on AC→DER is directionally consistent but marginally non-significant (β = −0.038, p = 0.112). IPMA analysis identifies CRP (importance = 0.325) and AC (importance = 0.260) as priority levers for resilience enhancement. This study offers the first empirical validation of DER as a strategic outcome in IoT-solar rural SME contexts in South Asia.
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7214760752