The Performance Improvement Mechanism of Cross-Border E-Commerce Grassroots Entrepreneurship Empowered by the Internet Platform

Zhigang Fan and Xuanshun Zhai ()
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Zhigang Fan: Alibaba Business School, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Xuanshun Zhai: Alibaba Business School, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: In the cross-border e-commerce industry, millions of small and medium-sized sellers have emerged in recent years. With the empowerment of the Internet platform, these grassroots entrepreneurs, which are generally disadvantaged in terms of resources, capabilities, costs, etc., have overcome a number of barriers and acquired more equitable participation opportunities in the fierce market competition. This study explores the performance improvement mechanism of platform empowerment for grassroots entrepreneurs and tests the mediating effect of resource bricolage. After descriptive statistical analysis, applying the common method variance test, and reliability and validity verification of the 336 valid questionnaire sample data, a path analysis of the structural equation model and an intermediary effect test were conducted. The results indicated that the structural empowerment of the platform could significantly and positively improve the entrepreneurial performance of grassroots entrepreneurs, while the psychological empowerment of the platform has no significant effect. In addition, the resource bricolage played a completely mediating role in the impact of platform empowerment on entrepreneurial performance. By deepening our understanding of the platform empowerment mechanism and grassroots entrepreneurs’ resource bricolage behavior, this study provided guidance and reference for the platform to better play its empowerment role and for the grassroots entrepreneurs to achieve their own growth.

Keywords: internet platform; cross-border e-commerce; grassroots entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial performance; empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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