The Effect of Digital Marketing Strategy and Technology-Based Human Resource Development on Online Business Competitiveness with Digital Innovation as a Mediating Variable Among Generation Z Entrepreneurs in Bogor City

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of digital marketing strategy and technology-based human resource development on online business competitiveness with digital innovation as a mediating variable among Generation Z entrepreneurs in Bogor City, Indonesia.

This research employs a quantitative method with a causal approach. The sample consists of 170 Generation Z entrepreneurs who actively operate online businesses in Bogor City, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire distributed via Google Form and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4 software.

The results indicate that both digital marketing strategy and technology-based HR development have a positive and significant effect on online business competitiveness. Digital innovation successfully mediates the relationship between both independent variables and business competitiveness, demonstrating partial mediation.

This study is limited to Generation Z entrepreneurs in Bogor City using cross-sectional data, which may limit generalizability. Future research should expand the geographic scope and employ longitudinal designs to capture dynamic changes over time.

The findings provide actionable recommendations for Generation Z entrepreneurs to optimize digital marketing strategies, enhance technology-based HR capabilities, and foster digital innovation to strengthen their online business competitiveness in an increasingly digital marketplace.

This study contributes to the literature by integrating digital marketing strategy, technology-based HRM, and digital innovation into a single structural model, specifically targeting Generation Z entrepreneurs in the context of Indonesian online business ecosystems.