Digital economy and youth entrepreneurship: A study of university students in Ica, Peru

Jhojan Ramiro J.P.; Alejandro Alfredo Q.-M.; Oscar Eduardo D.-P.; Lila Karina H.-M. · Revista Venezolana de Gerencia (2025) · DOI: 10.52080/rvgluz.30.112.4

Resumen

The digital economy has led to the evolution of traditional business, education, and communication models. In the Peruvian context, this phenomenon is evident in the growth of e-commerce, which is generating new opportunities for youth entrepreneurship. The objective was to analyze the relationship between the digital economy and the development of youth entrepreneurship among university students in the city of Ica, using a quantitative approach. This study was conducted using a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional approach, analyzing the relationship between the digital economy and entrepreneurship among 159 young university students in Ica. A questionnaire with 16 questions was used, obtaining a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.934. Descriptive analyses and a multiple linear regression model were applied. The results showed significant correlations between the growth of entrepreneurship and digital knowledge (ρ =.651, p <.01), the use of digital tools (ρ =.569, p <.01), and perceptions of digitalization (ρ =.559, p <.01). The instrument had high reliability (α =.934) and the multiple regression model revealed 50.2% of the variance (R² =.502), with digital knowledge being the most influential predictor (β =.389, p =.000), followed by perception of digitization (β =.248, p =.001) and the use of digital tools (β =.188, p =.014). It is noteworthy that digital skills are significantly related to the development of youth entrepreneurship, which highlights the need to integrate them into university education in contexts such as the city of Ica.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga; Universidad Tecnológica del Perú; Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista