Empowering women entrepreneurs through ICT and entrepreneurial marketing for enhanced organizational performance

Purpose This study investigates how information and communication technology (ICT) and entrepreneurial marketing (EM) jointly influence the organizational performance (OP) of women-led SMEs in contrasting institutional settings, Türkiye and Kosovo. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from 284 women entrepreneurs were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling to test direct, indirect and mediating relationships between ICT, EM and OP and to compare the two national subsamples. Findings In Türkiye, the perceived usefulness of ICT and its use to support direct selling significantly enhance OP, through consumer-centric innovation. In Kosovo, ease of use and ICT-based selling improve OP, while EM dimensions are not significant. ICT-related constructs explain 45.9% of the variance in OP in Türkiye and 38.9% in Kosovo. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional data and focus on two emerging economies limit generalizability; longitudinal and multi-country studies are suggested. Practical implications Policymakers should align digital inclusion with EM capability building, emphasizing simple, user-friendly tools in less mature ecosystems. Social implications Enhancing women entrepreneurs’ digital competence supports inclusive economic growth and gender equality. Originality/value The study extends institutional and dynamic-capabilities theory by demonstrating that digital maturity conditions the ICT–EM–OP nexus in women entrepreneurship, providing the first cross-country evidence for Türkiye and Kosovo.