Findings indicate that digital transformation significantly enhances corporate performance, with innovation capability playing a crucial mediating role and practical policy recommendations to support effective digital transformation in manufacturing.
Amid the revolution in information technology, the digital transformation of manufacturing is reshaping traditional production models toward smart systems. While existing research has explored industrial digitalization at a macro level, systematic studies on how micro-level manufacturing firms evolve in performance and innovation during this process remain limited. This article aims to reveal the performance changes of manufacturing enterprises during digital transformation and examine the dynamic interaction between these changes and technological innovation capability. The study constructs a multi-level framework linking “digital transformation–innovation capability–corporate performance” focusing specifically on the mediating role of innovation capability in the transformation-performance relationship and comparing heterogeneous effects across ownership types and geographic regions. Using data from Chinese A-share listed manufacturing companies from 2019 to 2023, the research applies empirical modeling to test the proposed relationships. Findings indicate that digital transformation significantly enhances corporate performance, with innovation capability playing a crucial mediating role. Heterogeneity analysis shows that state-owned enterprises experience stronger performance gains than non-state-owned firms, and companies in central and western China benefit more than those in the eastern region. Based on these results, the study offers practical policy recommendations to support effective digital transformation in manufacturing.
Suyan Gong, Heng Ma· Proceedings of the Internati...· 0 citations
The findings suggest that digital transformation contributes to innovation performance not only through technological efficiency but also through enhanced organizational learning and knowledge utilization capabilities.
S. Jang· Human Resources Management a...· 0 citations
The study underscores the importance of operational strategy alignment and provides guidance on digital transformation capabilities that firms should prioritize based on their goals, which carry valuable implications for practitioners and policymakers seeking a roadmap for effective digital transformation.
Sung-hee Jung, Soo Jung Oh· Management Decision· 0 citations
The digital transformation of “Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative” (SRDI) firms is a vital indicator of high-quality development within the digital economy and has attracted considerable attention. This study empirically examines the effect of digital transformation on enterprise value, employing big data text recognition techniques on panel data from Chinese A-share-listed SRDI firms from 2009 to 2023 to measure the intensity of corporate digital transformation. The empirical results reveal a significantly positive correlation between digital transformation and firm value for SRDI firms, a conclusion that remains robust after endogeneity and sensitivity analyses. Mechanism tests further indicate that digital transformation is significantly and positively associated with four dimensions of technological innovation, all of which are closely linked to firm value: innovation input, innovation density, innovation capability, and innovation performance. Additionally, we recognize supply chain concentration, the extent of informatization, and government subsidies as critical moderators that enhance the association between digital transformation and firm value. This study offers detailed empirical evidence about the transformation and innovation behaviors of SRDI firms, clarifying the underlying mechanisms and contingent elements that influence value creation in the digital age.
Digital transformation has come to the fore as a pivotal force behind corporate green innovation in the digital economy. Although previous research has documented that digital transformation can promote green innovation, the underlying organizational mechanisms remain theoretically fragmented. Moreover, the external conditions that shape the effectiveness of this relationship are not yet fully understood. To address these gaps, we develop an integrated analytical framework anchored in Organizational Information Processing Theory (OIPT) and the Resource-Based View (RBV). This framework explains how digital transformation promotes green innovation through two complementary organizational mechanisms—resource investment and technology application—and incorporates the moderating role of digital infrastructure. Using panel data on Chinese A-share-listed firms covering 2015–2024, this study examines the proposed relationships through a Bidirectional Fixed Effects Model, mediation analysis, and moderation analysis. The findings demonstrate a significant positive association between digital transformation and green innovation. This effect is partially mediated by increased R&D(Resource and Development) investment and deeper digital organizational embedding, which constitute complementary pathways reflecting resource investment and enhanced resource utilization, respectively. Additionally, digital infrastructure positively moderates this relationship by providing a more supportive external digital environment. This study enriches the existing literature by synthesizing previously dispersed perspectives on mechanisms into an OIPT-RBV framework, offering a more comprehensive account of how and under what circumstances digital transformation facilitates green innovation. Our findings also carry practical implications for managers seeking to strengthen innovation capabilities and for policymakers aiming to advance digital infrastructure and firms’ sustainable development.
Background: Digital transformation has become a central process in contemporary business environments, as organizations increasingly integrate advanced technologies into their operations and business models. While digital transformation is widely recognized as a driver of organizational change and innovation capacity, its direct effect on competitive advantage remains unclear, as the mechanisms through which digital investments translate into strategic outcomes are not yet fully understood. Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine how digital transformation influences innovation and competitive advantage, and to assess whether innovation performance mediates this relationship. Study design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a structured survey in which 53 representatives of companies from Split, Croatia participated. The response rate was 31.2%. Empirical analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships between digital transformation, innovation performance, and competitive advantage, which is particularly appropriate for small samples and exploratory research designs. Findings/conclusions: The results indicate that digital transformation positively influences innovation performance, which in turn positively influences competitive advantage. Innovation performance fully mediates the relationship between digital transformation and competitive advantage, with the direct path becoming insignificant once the mediator is included. These findings suggest that digital transformation generates competitive advantage primarily through its capacity to enhance innovation performance, rather than through direct technological adoption. Limitations/future research: The study is limited by a small convenience sample drawn from a single geographic area, which restricts generalizability. Future research should examine different institutional, sectoral and national contexts, incorporate objective performance measures, and apply longitudinal designs to better establish causality.
Anita Talaja, K. Matić· Strategii Manageriale· 0 citations
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