Digitalization Technology for Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship and Inequality

Abstract

The digitalization technology transformation of entrepreneurship has positive impacts but also increases inequality and disrupts the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study aimed to examine the impact of digitalization technology transformation on rural entrepreneurship and explain its mitigation efforts using exploratory sequential mixed methods. The policy acceptance model method was used to reduce uncertainty in analyzing entrepreneurial behavior patterns. Data were collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews equipped with ethnographic observations. The results showed that the digitalization technology transformation of rural entrepreneurship supports various new potentials. These include decent work opportunities, family entrepreneurship, and local economic growth. However, the technology increases inequality and the fear of traditional markets that could disrupt achieving other sustainable development goals (SDGs). This inequality and the risk of uncertainty could be mitigated by the social solidarity economic transformation business model based on the potential of local humanist wisdom. Therefore, this study could provide scientific information and implications for social and institutional policies. It could also contribute to the literature on new institutional and social entrepreneurship innovation theories related to the wave of Kontratieff Schumpeter.

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