International Journal of Business Economics (IJBE)
Vol 7, No 1 (2025): SEPT 2025 - MARCH 2026

Financial and Digital Literacy as Catalysts for MSMEs’ Business Sustainability: The Roles of Product Innovation and Creativity

Lastri, Surna (Unknown)
Marlizar, Marlizar (Unknown)
Erlinda, Erlinda (Unknown)
Syamsidar, Syamsidar (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Nov 2025

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the influence of financial literacy and digital literacy on the sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by positioning product creativity and product innovation as mediating mechanisms that explain the process of transforming knowledge-based literacy into business sustainability.Methodology – The research used a quantitative approach with a causal design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 95 rattan handicraft MSME actors in Aceh Besar Regency, Indonesia. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) to test the direct and indirect relationships between variables.Findings – The results showed that financial literacy and digital literacy had a positive and significant effect on product creativity and product innovation. Product innovation was found to have a positive and significant effect on business sustainability and to mediate the relationships between financial literacy and business sustainability and between digital literacy and business sustainability. In contrast, product creativity had no significant effect on business sustainability and did not function as a mediator. These findings indicate that financial and digital literacy do not automatically lead to business sustainability without an implementation process that involves product innovation.Originality/Novelty – This research contributes to literature by empirically distinguishing the role of creativity as the ideation stage and innovation as the implementation stage. It shows that product innovation is a key mechanism that transforms financial literacy and digital literacy into business sustainability in traditional industry-based MSMEs.Implications – The findings emphasize the importance of integrating financial literacy and digital literacy programs with efforts to strengthen product innovation capacity. From a practical perspective, the results offer a basis for developing innovation-oriented strategies and policies for MSMEs aimed at fostering long-term business sustainability.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijbe

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

International Journal of Business Economics (IJBE) is a media publication manuscript that contains the results of the Field Research Management applying peer-reviewed. Manuscripts published in the International Journal of Business Economics (IJBE) includes the results of scientific research original ...