Airlangga Journal of Innovation Management
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): Airlangga Journal of Innovation Management

Digital Financial Literacy and Sustainability: The Mediation Role of SMES' Performance

Dekeng Setyo Budiarto (Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta)
Tiwi Rossiani (Universitas PGRI Yogyakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Jun 2026

Abstract

As key drivers of employment, MSMEs play a vital role in developing countries, including Indonesia. Technological advancements challenge MSME owners to adapt their strategies to customer needs to remain viable. The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of performance in assessing the influence of digital financial literacy on sustainability. We collected questionnaires from 216 MSME owners in Yogyakarta's creative industry. The questionnaires were distributed via two methods: offline and online via Google Forms. The questionnaire data were analyzed using PLS-SEM to test the research hypothesis. The results indicate that digital financial literacy positively affects sustainability. Furthermore, performance mediates the relationship between digital financial literacy and sustainability. The results of the mediation test show a VAF of 36.8%, indicating that the relationship between digital financial literacy and sustainability is partially mediated by performance. The results provide implications for MSME owners to improve their digital financial literacy, as rapid technological developments enable them to survive in uncertain environmental conditions. This study makes a methodological contribution by extending previous research through simultaneous testing and examination of mediation effects, which remain underexplored in the context of creative-industry MSMEs in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

AJIM

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

Airlangga Journal of Innovation Management (AJIM) aims to link the research and practice of innovation management. AJIM adopt a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the many challenges of managing innovation. AJIM encourages the submission of papers addressing the multidisciplinary nature of the ...