The Effect of Government Entrepreneurial Support and Digital Competence on the Entrepreneurial Performance of the Agricultural Entrepreneur

This study empirically analyzes the impact of government entrepreneurial support and digital competence on the entrepreneurial performance of agricultural entrepreneurs. Although agriculture is a vital sector for the national economy and food security, agricultural entrepreneurs often face difficulties in responding to market changes due to limited resources and scale constraints. To overcome these limitations and support the sustainable growth of agricultural entrepreneurs, systematic government-level entrepreneurial support policies and the enhancement of digital competence are essential. In particular, entrepreneurial support and the utilization of digital technologies can play a crucial role in enhancing competitiveness and securing new growth drivers in the agricultural sector. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted targeting agricultural entrepreneurs in the Gyeongbuk region using both online and offline methods. The questionnaire was composed of items measuring government entrepreneurial support (education support, financial support, and marketing support), digital competence, and entrepreneurial performance, all rated on a five-point Likert scale. Based on 125 valid responses, multiple regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0. The analysis results showed that among the sub-variables of government entrepreneurial support, education support had a positive impact on entrepreneurial performance, whereas financial support and marketing support did not have a significant effect. This suggests that for agricultural entrepreneurship, strengthening competencies through education is more effective than simply providing financial or marketing support. Additionally, digital competence had a significant positive effect on entrepreneurial performance, indicating that the use of digital technologies is a critical success factor in agricultural entrepreneurship. Based on these findings, this study proposes a policy direction for entrepreneurial support in agriculture that aligns with the digital transformation era and empirically verifies the impact of government entrepreneurial support and digital competence on entrepreneurial performance. It is expected that these results will contribute to the development of improved policies and practical strategies to enhance the entrepreneurial performance of agricultural entrepreneurs.