Level of Readiness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Pangasinan in Adopting Digital Transformation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21002278Keywords:
digital transformation, digital readiness, MSME Digital Toolkit, MSMEs, Pangasinan, technology adoptionAbstract
Digital transformation has become a strategic requirement for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that seek to remain competitive, resilient, and responsive to changing markets. This study assessed the level of readiness of MSMEs in Pangasinan in adopting digital transformation as basis for preparing an MSME Digital Toolkit. A descriptive-correlational research design was used. The respondents were 383 MSMEs from the top ten cities and municipalities in Pangasinan with the highest number of registered MSMEs, namely Urdaneta, Dagupan, San Carlos, Mangaldan, Alaminos, Calasiao, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Bayambang, and Sta. Barbara. Data were gathered through a validated researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and Pearson product-moment correlation through SPSS version 25. Findings showed that most MSMEs were sole proprietorships, service-oriented or trading/agriculture-based enterprises, micro in capitalization and workforce size, and highly dependent on smartphones, internet connection, chat applications, and social media page tools. The MSMEs were generally Strongly Ready for digital transformation, with the highest readiness in environment and strong ratings in technology, leadership, workforce, and organization. Significant relationships were found between selected profile variables and readiness indicators, particularly capitalization, number of employees, devices and gadgets, operations digital tools, digital marketing tools, advanced digital tools, and number of years in business. The overall extent of challenges was rated Challenging, with security and privacy concerns, financial constraints, and complexity/usability as the leading barriers. The study concludes that Pangasinan MSMEs possess positive readiness for digital transformation but require stronger support in infrastructure, financing, training, cybersecurity, strategic alignment, and tool selection. The proposed MSME Digital Toolkit may guide enterprises and support agencies in strengthening digital adoption and business sustainability.
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