DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY CONTEXT: THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE, ENTREPRENEURIAL KNOWLEDGE, DIGITAL COMPETENCE, AND DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62985/j.huit_ojs.vol26.no3E.559Keywords:
Digital technology, entrepreneurial intention, technology acceptance, entrepreneurial knowledge, digital competenceAbstract
The rapid growth of the digital economy has created new entrepreneurial opportunities while increasing the importance of technological and entrepreneurial capabilities. This study examines the determinants of digital entrepreneurial intention (DEI) by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Data were collected from 315 graduates in Ho Chi Minh City and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings highlight four key results. First, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, entrepreneurial knowledge, digital competence, and digital experience positively influence digital entrepreneurial self-efficacy (DSE). Second, entrepreneurial knowledge is identified as the strongest predictor of DSE. Third, DSE significantly enhances digital entrepreneurial intention and mediates the relationships between technological and individual capability factors and DEI. Fourth, family business background strengthens the relationship between DSE and entrepreneurial intention. The study contributes to the digital entrepreneurship literature by proposing an integrated framework that combines technological, individual, and contextual factors. The findings also provide practical implications for universities and policymakers in fostering digital entrepreneurship through entrepreneurial education and digital skill development.
References
[1] S. Nambisan, “Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship,” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 1029–1055, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12254
[2] S. Kraus, C. Palmer, N. Kailer, F. L. Kallinger, and J. Spitzer, “Digital entrepreneurship: A research agenda on new business models for the twenty-first century,” International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 353–375, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2018-0425
[3] I. Ajzen, “The theory of planned behavior,” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179–211, 1991, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
[4] F. D. Davis, “Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology,” MIS Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 319–340, 1989, doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
[5] V. Venkatesh, M. G. Morris, G. B. Davis, and F. D. Davis, “User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view,” MIS Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 425–478, 2003, doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
[6] A. Y. Farani, S. Karimi, and M. Motaghed, “The role of entrepreneurial knowledge as a competence in shaping Iranian students’ career intentions to start a new digital business,” European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 83–100, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-07-2016-0054
[7] B. Q. Lam, H. Y. Tran, K. A. Nguyen, K. T. Nguyen, and M. Pham, “Digital competence and digital entrepreneurial intention: A social cognitive approach,” Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 139–153, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2025.130208
[8] J. Zhao, L. Zhao, K. M. Chong, M. B. Y. B. Hamid, and M. Z. Osman, “Entrepreneurial intention among university students in the digital economy: The mediating role of alertness and the moderating effect of motivation,” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, vol. 12, no. 1, Art. no. 1861, 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06136-5
[9] J. M. Lopes, S. Gomes, L. Farinha, and C. Sampaio, “Empowering digital entrepreneurship intention: Unveiling the role of education,” Journal of the Knowledge Economy, vol. 17, pp. 8793–8827, 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-026-03179-0
[10] A. Wibowo, A. Saptono, B. S. Narmaditya, M. S. Effendi, S. Mukhtar, Suparno, and M. H. M. Shafiai, “Using technology acceptance model to investigate digital business intention among Indonesian students,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, Art. no. 2314253, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2314253
[11] A. Bandura, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York, NY, USA: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1997.
[12] V. Venkatesh, J. Y. L. Thong, and X. Xu, “Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology,” MIS Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 157–178, Mar. 2012. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
[13] G. S. Becker, Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with Special Reference to Education, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL, USA: The University of Chicago Press, 1993, doi: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226041223.001.0001
[14] J. F. Hair Jr., G. T. M. Hult, C. M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt, A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications, 2019.
[15] J. C. Carr and J. M. Sequeira, “Prior family business exposure as intergenerational influence and entrepreneurial intent: A theory of planned behavior approach,” Journal of Business Research, vol. 60, no. 10, pp. 1090–1098, 2007, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.12.016
