International Journal of Applied Business and International Management
Vol 11, No 1 (2026): April 2026

Optimizing Company Resources for Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Mediating Role of Digital Transformation in Indonesian MSMEs

Firdaussiah, Safina Najah (Unknown)
Sutjipto, Mohammad Riza (Unknown)
Hidayat, Saiful (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Micro, small, and medium (MSMEs) enterprises contribute crucially in this national economy, but there are always difficulties in transforming internal resources into sustainable competitive advantages in the digital era. This reseacrh aims to examine the “effect of company resources on competitive advantage, both directly and indirectly through digital transformation”. A quantitative approach was employed using data from 400 Indonesian MSMEs registered on the PaDi UMKM platform, analyzed from the SEM model or Structural Equation Modeling with LISREL 8.70. Resulting if company resources contributed significantly positively to competitive advantage (b = 0.15, t = 2.76) and on digital transformation (b = 0.71, t = 13.91). Digital transformation contribute strongly positively to competitive advantage (b = 0.66, t = 9.61), representing the most influential relationship in the model. Furthermore, the indirect effect of company resources on competitive advantage through digital transformation is significant (b = 0.469, t = 7.884), indicating partial mediation (VAF = 75.8%). The model explains 50% of digital transformation and 60% of competitive advantage, suggesting that digital transformation is the primary pathway through which resources translate into sustainable competitive advantage among MSMEs.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJABIM

Publisher

Subject

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

Description

The International Journal of Applied Business and International Management (IJABIM) is a peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform for scholars, professionals, and policymakers to share pioneering research in international business, management, and economics. Published quarterly, the journal ...