How Does Humane Orientation Contribute to Digital Entrepreneurship Use Intention? A Gender Perspective

Information and communication technology (ICT) is one of the vital resources for entrepreneurs as they start and develop new ventures. Therefore, it is important to understand the ICT adoption patterns of individuals. In particular, recent research has emphasized the differences between specific entrepreneurial orientations (such as humane entrepreneurship) or those based on gender. The aim of this chapter is to help understanding the role of a humane orientation in the intention to use ICT by taking into account gender differences as well. This is done through the adoption of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model and the concept of humane entrepreneurship. Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to estimate the proposed model. The study sample consists of 1229 individuals living in Spain. The data have been collected through surveys. Based on the results, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence have a positive and significant effect on the intention to use ICT. Furthermore, the humane orientation positively affects the ICT use intention of individuals. The results also show that this latter effect is more prominent for women. Based on these results, policies and programs should be implemented to support and fund women’s humane entrepreneurial projects, since they are more likely to adopt ICT as an instrument. The inclusion of humane constructs in entrepreneurship education can help the emergence of new ventures that can produce technological solutions to global challenges. Additionally, ICT training for entrepreneurs can stress the UTAUT constructs such as performance benefits and ease of use to increase ICT use intention.