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The Influence of Digital Awareness on Gen Z’s Intention to Build Digital Businesses: The Mediating Roles of Attitude, Perceived Usefulness, and Employability: A Study in Phnom Penh


Authors : Chamreun Sam; Ratha Long; Chanthy Sin; Ngorntheng Thol; Vithou Seng; Lalin Sou

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2pmjyjr2

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/mr2wprdf

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26may1653

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Abstract : Digital business is now a major force in Cambodia’s economic growth, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet there remains a gap between students’ digital awareness and their readiness to start digital businesses. This study has three main goals: to look at how digital awareness directly affects attitudes toward ICT, perceived usefulness, employability, and the intention to start a digital business; to see how attitude, perceived usefulness, and employability directly affect the intention to start a digital business; and to test whether attitude, perceived usefulness, and employability act as links between digital awareness and the intention to start a digital business. The study surveyed 203 international business management students in Phnom Penh. Data analysis used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results show that digital awareness has a strong effect on attitudes toward ICT, perceived usefulness, and employability. However, digital awareness does not directly influence students’ intention to start a digital business. Attitude toward ICT and perceived usefulness both have strong positive effects on intention, but employability alone does not. The mediation analysis found that digital awareness indirectly affects the intention to start a digital business through employability. Also, attitude toward ICT indirectly affects employability through perceived usefulness. These results suggest that just increasing digital awareness is not enough. To help young people start digital businesses, educators and policymakers should also work to build positive attitudes toward technology and boost students’ sense of employability.

Keywords : Attitude Towards ICT, Digital Awareness, Employability, Intention To Build Business, Perceived Usefulness.

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Digital business is now a major force in Cambodia’s economic growth, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet there remains a gap between students’ digital awareness and their readiness to start digital businesses. This study has three main goals: to look at how digital awareness directly affects attitudes toward ICT, perceived usefulness, employability, and the intention to start a digital business; to see how attitude, perceived usefulness, and employability directly affect the intention to start a digital business; and to test whether attitude, perceived usefulness, and employability act as links between digital awareness and the intention to start a digital business. The study surveyed 203 international business management students in Phnom Penh. Data analysis used confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results show that digital awareness has a strong effect on attitudes toward ICT, perceived usefulness, and employability. However, digital awareness does not directly influence students’ intention to start a digital business. Attitude toward ICT and perceived usefulness both have strong positive effects on intention, but employability alone does not. The mediation analysis found that digital awareness indirectly affects the intention to start a digital business through employability. Also, attitude toward ICT indirectly affects employability through perceived usefulness. These results suggest that just increasing digital awareness is not enough. To help young people start digital businesses, educators and policymakers should also work to build positive attitudes toward technology and boost students’ sense of employability.

Keywords : Attitude Towards ICT, Digital Awareness, Employability, Intention To Build Business, Perceived Usefulness.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - July - 2026

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