Nor Syafinaz Binti Shaffee¹, Nadiah Binti Abd Hamid^²*, Noorlaila Binti Ghazali³, Zarinah Binti Abdul Rasit⁴ and Soliha Binti Sanusi⁵

^1,2*,3,4Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
⁵Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This study examines the resource-based determinants of sustainable business performance among women-owned micro-businesses in Malaysia. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), it investigates the effects of financial assistance, supply chain management, entrepreneurial skills, social capital, and access to technology on sustainable business performance. Survey data were collected from 259 women entrepreneurs operating micro-businesses and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, while the structural model showed moderate explanatory power. The results reveal that financial assistance, supply chain management, entrepreneurial skills, and access to technology significantly enhance sustainable business performance, whereas social capital has no significant effect. Supply chain management and access to technology emerged as the strongest predictors, highlighting the importance of managerial capabilities and digital resources in strengthening business resilience and competitiveness. The study extends RBV application to women-owned micro-businesses in an emerging economy and provides practical insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and business development agencies seeking to support sustainable business growth in the post-pandemic environment.

Keywords:
Sustainable Business Performance, Financial Assistance, Supply Chain, Entrepreneurial Skills, Social Capital, Access to Technology