The Mediating Role of Financial Innovation and Women’s Entrepreneurial Practices: Bridging the Adoption of ICT with SMEs Business Performance

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of financial innovation and women’s entrepreneurship practices in the relationship between ICT adoption and women’s business performance. The sample consisted of 210 women SMEs, selected from a database from the Office of Cooperatives and SMEs in West Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The findings showed that financial innovation mediates the relationship between ICT adoption and SMEs’ business performance. However, the study did not find that women’s entrepreneurship practices and SMEs’ business performance mediate the relationship between ICT adoption and SMEs’ business performance. The findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the mediating role in the relationships between financial innovation and women’s entrepreneurial practices, thereby facilitating the integration of ICT with the business performance of SMEs. Additionally, the findings have significant implications for policymakers seeking to design an effective support system for the digitalization of SMEs’ businesses, especially among Indonesian women-owned SMEs.