HOW DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION DRIVES PLATFORM INNOVATION: A MULTI-COUNTRY STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN DIGITAL ECONOMIES

Abstract

This study investigates how digital entrepreneurial orientation drives platform innovation through organizational agility across Southeast Asian digital economies. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory, this study analyzes 156 platform enterprises from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia using a mixed-methods approach combining structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The findings reveal that organizational agility mediates 40.4% of the relationship between digital entrepreneurial orientation and platform innovation performance, with strategic sensitivity emerging as the strongest mediating dimension (17.0%). Cross-national analysis uncovers significant heterogeneity: Singapore exhibits a "weak direct-strong indirect" pattern reflecting capability-driven innovation in mature markets, while Indonesia shows a "strong direct-weak indirect" pattern characteristic of opportunity-driven innovation in emerging markets. The fsQCA identifies three equifinal paths to high innovation performance: "Digital Champion" (comprehensive excellence), "Agile Adaptation" (flexibility-based), and "Resource Integration" (scale-based). Notably, no single element proves universally necessary for innovation success, challenging traditional best-practice paradigms. These findings contribute to digital entrepreneurship literature by revealing the contingent nature of platform innovation and provide practical guidance for enterprises navigating diverse institutional contexts. The study demonstrates that successful platform innovation emerges not from universal models but from context-specific configurations of entrepreneurial orientation and organizational capabilities.