Digital literacy, trust, and e-commerce sustainability among women entrepreneurs in Indonesia: the mediating role of trust
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26740/bisma.v19n1.p106-129Keywords:
digital literacy, e-commerce sustainability, trust, Indonesia, women entrepreneursAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between digital literacy, trust, and e-commerce sustainability among women entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Although digital transformation has expanded entrepreneurial opportunities, many women-led digital businesses still face challenges in achieving long-term sustainability due to varying levels of digital capability and trust in online platforms. This study aims to examine the direct effect of digital literacy on trust and e-commerce sustainability, as well as the mediating role of trust in this relationship. A quantitative research design was employed using a structured online questionnaire distributed to women entrepreneurs across Indonesia. A total of 350 valid responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that digital literacy has a significant positive effect on trust and e-commerce sustainability. Trust is also found to have a significant positive influence on e-commerce sustainability. Furthermore, trust partially mediates the relationship between digital literacy and e-commerce sustainability, suggesting that digital literacy enhances business sustainability both directly and indirectly through trust formation. The model demonstrates strong explanatory power and satisfactory goodness-of-fit. The findings highlight that digital literacy and trust are key determinants of sustainable digital entrepreneurship among women. The study contributes to the literature by integrating Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and Trust Theory into a unified framework. Practically, the findings suggest that improving women entrepreneurs’ digital skills and strengthening platform trust mechanisms are essential for enhancing e-commerce sustainability in emerging digital economies.
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