LEMONGRASS TO LIVELIHOOD: THE INFLUENCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCY, PRODUCT INNOVATION AND DIGITAL MARKETING READINESS ON COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AMONG ORANG ASLI PARTICIPANTS IN POS BLAU, GUA MUSANG
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.935039Keywords:
Community Empowerment, Digital Marketing Readiness, Lemongrass Enterprise, Orang Asli, Social EntrepreneurshipAbstract
Social entrepreneurship is increasingly used to improve livelihood opportunities among marginalised and Indigenous communities. However, limited empirical attention has been given to how enterprise capabilities relate to community empowerment in Orang Asli resource-based initiatives, particularly lemongrass enterprise development in rural Kelantan. This study examines whether entrepreneurial competency, product innovation, digital marketing readiness and social entrepreneurship orientation predict community empowerment among Orang Asli community members associated with the Lemongrass Enterprise Project in Pos Blau, Gua Musang. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 120 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The instrument showed good to excellent reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.861 to 0.921 and an overall alpha of 0.947. All variables recorded high mean scores, although digital marketing readiness had the lowest mean (M = 3.71), indicating a need for further digital skills and market-access support. All four predictors were positively and significantly associated with community empowerment. Social entrepreneurship orientation recorded the largest standardised beta coefficient (β = 0.356, p < 0.001), followed by entrepreneurial competency (β = 0.307, p < 0.001), product innovation capability (β = 0.238, p = 0.001) and digital marketing readiness (β = 0.176, p = 0.013). The model explained 70.7% of the variance in community empowerment (R² = 0.707). The findings highlight the importance of combining social entrepreneurship values with practical enterprise capabilities and support targeted digital marketing, product development, entrepreneurial skills and continuous mentoring for Orang Asli communities.
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