Purpose Entrepreneurship is a key driver of socio-economic growth, particularly in rural areas where conventional employment opportunities are limited. It plays a vital role in promoting economic development and social empowerment; however, the rapid integration of technology into business operations has created both significant challenges and new opportunities for entrepreneurs. This study examines the impact of techno-stress on entrepreneurial burnout, incorporating the roles of technological self-compassion, digital competence and social support among rural entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative research design, a structured survey questionnaire was administered to 448 rural entrepreneurs across the South Indian states through stratified random sampling. The survey measured techno-stress, technological self-compassion, digital competence, social support and entrepreneurial burnout. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26) and AMOS (version 26), employing descriptive statistics, measurement model assessment and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships, as well as the mediating and moderating effects among the variables. Findings This study found that rural entrepreneurs often struggle to manage technology, leading to stress and emotional burnout. Moreover, technological self-compassion, digital competence and social support have shown significant effects on techno-stress and entrepreneurial burnout, highlighting the importance of confidence, digital skills and emotional support in reducing stress among rural entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications The study assists policymakers and business incubators in providing digital literacy training to enhance digital competence among rural entrepreneurs. Moreover, entrepreneurship and community-led programs can promote technological self-compassion and strengthen social support networks to reduce the risk of burnout. Originality/value The inclusion of technology self-compassion in the context of rural entrepreneurship, particularly in examining the relationship between techno-stress and entrepreneurial burnout is a novel contribution. While self-compassion has been extensively studied in healthcare and education, its application within digital entrepreneurship remains limited.
Lasrado et al. (Mon,) studied this question.