Assessing Performance of Women Home-Based Businesses from the Low-Income Group: Testing Multiple Mediator Model

A home-based business is a micro-business carried out more by women than men to increase personal and family income. The lack of attention given by past researchers has resulted in less-known information about the performance of these entrepreneurs, even though this activity has been around for a long time, and many women are engaged in it. This study examines the determinants of sustainable performance in women's home-based businesses to fill this gap. The second objective is to investigate the multiple mediating effects of digital competencies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption towards the connections between entrepreneurial resources (i.e., access to finance, access to entrepreneurial education, and access to networking) and sustainable business performance. The data collection approach used a questionnaire directed to 300 low-income women home-based entrepreneurs in the Central Zone, Malaysia. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis showed that digital competency and AI adoption have significant effects and mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial resources and sustainable business performance. This study provides an overview of the resources that can contribute to the business's abilities, which leads to a competitive advantage by applying physical and non-physical resources.