<![CDATA[Purpose – This study examines the associations of digital finance and self-reported halal-practice orientation with sustainability awareness among culinary micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Bekasi City. It also investigates whether technological capability conditions these associations. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 200 eligible respondents involved in decisions at culinary MSMEs. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was reported using AMOS. The study assesses perceived financial-service use, halal implementation and orientation, technological capability/readiness, and sustainability awareness; moderation estimates require verification against a hierarchical specification that includes the technological-capability main effect. Findings/Results – The archived structural results report a positive association between digital finance and sustainability awareness (estimate = 0.319, p < 0.001) and a nonsignificant association for halal-practice orientation (estimate = 0.109, p = 0.161). Positive interaction coefficients were also reported for digital finance × technological capability (0.260, p < 0.001) and halal-practice orientation × technological capability (0.340, p < 0.001). Their confirmatory interpretation remains provisional because the main effect of technological capability, latent-interaction procedure, and conditional effects were not reported. Originality/Value – The study brings digital finance and halal-practice orientation into a common model of MSME sustainability awareness. It distinguishes respondents’ sustainability perceptions from verified business survival or environmental, financial, and social outcomes, and identifies measurement and model-specification requirements for a more rigorous assessment of conditional associations.]]>
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