The Adoption of Digital Technologies by Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises for Sustainability and Value Creation in Pakistan: The Application of a Two-Staged Hybrid SEM-ANN Approach

Digital technologies have revolutionized the business field, offering significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance sustainability and value creation. This study investigates the impact of digital technology adoption on economic and social value creation, as well as SME performance. Specifically, it examines how social media applications, big data analytics, IoT applications, blockchain applications, and AI-enabled applications influence economic and social value within SMEs. We employed a hybrid approach integrating Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques using SmartPLs 4.0 Application; this research analyzes these relationships. For our analysis, data were collected from 305 SME managers operating in Upper Sindh, Pakistan, specifically from major cities like Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, and Khairpur. The findings reveal that social media applications, big data analytics, IoT applications, and blockchain applications significantly contribute to both economic and social value creation for SMEs. Conversely, AI-enabled applications show no significant impact on value creation. Importantly, economic and social value creation positively correlates with enhanced SME performance. This study enriches our understanding of how digital technologies influence SMEs in Pakistan, particularly in enhancing economic and social value creation. Through advanced methodologies and rigorous analysis, it bridges theory with practical applications in SMEs’ digital transformation.