MANDAR: Management Development and Applied Research Journal
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026): June Period

The Role of Product Innovation and Market Orientation on the Competitiveness of Micro Businesses in the Digital Economy Era in Kendari City

Imran (Universitas Sulawesi Tenggara)
Ridha Taurisma Lajaria (Universitas Sulawesi Tenggara)
Grace Permatasari Tandipayuk (Monash University Malaysia)



Article Info

Publish Date
08 Jun 2026

Abstract

The transformation of the digital economy has changed the competitive landscape of micro enterprises by increasing market openness and the intensity of technology-based competition. In this context, product innovation and market orientation are seen as strategic factors that can strengthen the competitiveness of micro businesses. This study aims to analyze the influence of product innovation and market orientation on the competitiveness of micro businesses in the digital economy era. The study uses a quantitative approach with primary data obtained through a Likert scale questionnaire on 40 micro enterprises in Kendari City that have adopted digital marketing channels. The analysis was carried out using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to test the partial and simultaneous relationships between variables. The results show that product innovation and market orientation have a positive and significant effect on the competitiveness of micro enterprises, both individually and together, with a strong contribution of the model in explaining the variation in competitiveness. These findings confirm that the ability to develop products sustainably and responsiveness to the needs of digital consumers are the main determinants of competitive advantage at the micro business level. This research contributes to enriching the literature on strategic management and digital entrepreneurship and provides an empirical basis for the formulation of innovation-based and market-oriented MSME development strategies in the digital economy era

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Journal Info

Abbrev

mandar

Publisher

Subject

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

Description

E-Jurnal Mandar (Online ISSN: 2654-4504) dan (Print ISSN: 2721-1436) adalah jurnal ilmiah elektronik yang diterbitkan online dua kali dalam setahun (setiap 6 Bulan). E-Jurnal Mandar bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kualitas ilmu pengetahuan dan menyalurkan minat berbagi dan penyebaran pengetahuan bagi ...