Technopreneurship among the generation z cohort: Modelling the reasons for the adoption of drop shipping as a business model in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated technopreneurship among Generation Z in South Africa, with a specific focus on the adoption of drop shipping as a digital business model. The research addressed South Africa's youth unemployment crisis and the growing importance of technopreneurship asa potential solution. Given Generation Z's digital proficiency, entrepreneurial drive, and adaptability, the study explored the factors that influenced their intention and actual use of drop shipping as a viable technopreneurial opportunity. The study aimed not only to conceptualise but also to empirically validate the relationships between technological optimism, Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) characteristics, perceived enjoyment, attitudes, intentions, and the practical application of drop shipping among Generation Z. Drawing on IDT, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and the Traditional Behavioural Reasoning Model (TBRM) frameworks, the study developed and validated a comprehensive conceptual model to elucidate technopreneurial behaviour within the South African Generation Z context. Using a positivist paradigm, this study employed a quantitative research design with a structured questionnaire administered to 359 Generation Z students from the University of the Western Cape and the University of the Witwatersrand. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the measurement and structural models.