THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL LITERACY ON DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION AMONG VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: THE SERIAL MEDIATING ROLES OF SELFEFFICACY AND PERCEIVED DESIRABILITY

Abstract

This study sets out to explore how digital literacy shapes entrepreneurial intentions among Vietnamese university students, drawing on data from 618 participants across 13 institutions. Using a combination of PLS-SEM and fsQCA, the research not only tests direct, mediated, and moderated effects but also uncovers multiple pathways leading to high entrepreneurial intention. The findings indicate that digital literacy, encompassing AI literacy, digital skills, and Fintech knowledge significantly predicts entrepreneurial intention, with self-efficacy and perceived desirability acting as serial mediators in this relationship. Interestingly, having a family business background appears to strengthen the link between digital literacy and intention, while the model accounts for over half of the variance in entrepreneurial intention (54.8%). The fsQCA results further reveal that three distinct, equally effective configurations: technology-driven, passion-driven, and balanced can all lead to strong intentions. Conceptually, this work extends both the Entrepreneurial Event Model (EEM) and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by positioning digital literacy as a key antecedent and empirically testing serial mediation in the context of digital entrepreneurship. On a practical level, the findings suggest that universities should weave digital competencies throughout their curricula, while policymakers might consider supporting entrepreneurship education that is fully integrated with digital tools and consider the facilitating role of family business background when designing interventions.