The role of sustainable digital innovation in achieving sustainability in female-owned businesses of Gilgit-Baltistan: do entrepreneurial attitude, perceived behavior and subjective norms matter

In recent years, females have been significantly contributing to economic growth by their tenacity, skill, and proficiency. For emerging countries, the poor performance of female entrepreneurs is concerning due to restricted resource access and the absence of social norms. This study aims to explore the mediating role of sustainable digital innovation (SDI) in the relationship between entrepreneurial attitude (EA), perceived behavior (PB), subjective norms (SN), and business sustainable performance (BSP). Information was gathered from the female entrepreneurs in Pakistan’s autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis method served to evaluate model significance. The researcher established strong positive statistical connections among all parameters analyzed: PB, SN, EA, and SBP. In a similar vein, the association between PB, SN, EA, and SBP was positively mediated by SDI. This study helps in designing effective support systems, policies, and strategies that empower female entrepreneurs. Second, this study has significant practical implications for female workers seeking to improve long-term business performance through individual behavior controls, which are aided by sustainable digital innovation.