Taking knowledge management and entrepreneurial orientation as variables, this study explores the impact mechanism and contextual effects of enterprise digital transformation on business model innovation, based on organization reform theory and the knowledge-based view. The findings show that digital transformation has a significant and positive impact on business model innovation, that knowledge management plays an intermediary role in the impact of digital transformation on business model innovation, and that compared to low-level entrepreneurial orientation, high-level entrepreneurial orientation strengthens the relationship between digital transformation and knowledge management, and weakens the relationship between knowledge management and business model innovation.

The development of data science provides new opportunities for innovation in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. As the manufacturing sector urgently needs transformation and upgrading, studying how data empowerment drives innovation in manufacturing enterprises is of strategic significance. This work reviews domestic and foreign research from five aspects: product innovation, business model innovation, long-term competitiveness of enterprises, innovation ecosystem of enterprises, and industry upgrading. It summarizes the main forms and objects of data empowerment, analyzes the paths and mechanisms of data empowerment, and creates a systematic research framework to explore the “black box” of data empowerment that drives manufacturing innovation. Such a framework provides theoretical references for the transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing sector. Finally, future prospects are proposed to address the extant research gaps and to conduct more indepth research on innovation driven by data empowerment in the manufacturing sector.

In the face of intense global competition, the Chinese semiconductor industry grapples with unprecedented challenges. Addressing the issue of “bottleneck technology” has become a paramount concern among experts from various domains in China. However, the trajectory of the global semiconductor sector is inexorably linked to the innovation of its business models and adherence to the tenets of technological evolution. It can be posited that, without business model innovation, Moore's Law would cease to exist. In the semiconductor arena, where the first-mover advantage wields immense influence, exclusive focus on “technological breakthroughs” from a technical standpoint would invariably constrict itself within existing technological paradigms, leaving it susceptible to external control. This paper undertakes an in-depth examination of pivotal case studies, particularly that of TSMC and Samsung, two enterprises which transcended their latecomer status and shattered the “glass ceiling” by embracing “business model innovations.” Through a comprehensive analysis, it introduces and delineates two distinctive avenues of business model innovation: paper “reconstruction of the division of labor system” and “mismatched demand.” Subsequently, the research investigates two more cases, SiEn Integrated Circuits Co., Ltd. and Changguang Group, exploring specific business model innovation paths, “innovation consortium” and “differentiated demand,” pertinent to latecomer semiconductor companies operating in China. Drawing from these insights and considering the current international competitive landscape and the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper culminates in the synthesis of eight breakthrough trajectories for latecomer semiconductor firms. These pathways are examined through the lenses of technology paradigms (traditional and emerging), market contexts (globalized and deglobalized), and various types of business model innovation (original and secondary). Furthermore, this research offers a comprehensive analysis and discussion concerning the resources, capabilities, and strategies, with the ultimate objective of shedding light on the potential “breakthrough” avenue for China’s semiconductor industry.

In recent years, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is well under way. Meanwhile, a deglobalization trend is growing, and major-countries’ competition is intensifying. In this context, there has come a debate on whether technological innovation (“key & core technology”) or business model innovation (“soft model”) should be prioritized in development. Key & core technology and soft model differ in terms of driving forces, goal orientation, nature of knowledge, imitability, and return cycles. They both are interdependent, mutually reinforcing, and evolve together. Business models are an important form of technological innovation, and technological innovation drives business model innovation, while business models support, guide, promote, and incubate technological innovation. In the field of digital economy, business model innovation occurs more frequent, intense, widespread, and disruptive, but it also brings forth new challenges. In addressing these challenges for both business model innovation and technological innovation, China should follow the principles of “guidance without participation, inclusion with regulation” and “encouragement without compulsion.”

Book Description

Based on dynamic capability theory and legitimacy theory, a theoretical model is constructed to examine how big data capability, through the mediation of knowledge dynamic capability, drive business model innovation under the moderation effect of innovation legitimacy. The analysis is conducted using regression analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on survey data from 302 enterprises that have already implemented big data application practices. The study finds the following four conclusions. (1) Big data capability has a significant positive impact on business model innovation. (2) Dynamic knowledge capability partially mediates the relationship between big data capability and business model innovation. (3) Innovation legitimacy positively influences business model innovation and positively moderates the relationship between big data capability and business model innovation. (4) Through further qualitative comparative analysis, two causal paths that influence business model innovation are identified.

Using a sample of A-share listed companies from the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2010 to 2020, this study examines the impact of membership in non-local chambers of commerce (NLCCs) on corporate innovation, considering the dual attributes of

Academic News

The digital economy, underpinned by fundamental digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data, facilitates business model innovation, thereby enabling firms to achieve distinctive competitive advantages. While the digital economy creates more development opportunities for businesses, it also subjects them to higher levels of competitive threats. Therefore, business model innovation is both a proactive choice to perceive and exploit external opportunities and a reactive adaptation to identify and mitigate external threats. The digital economy drives business model innovation through digital information, internet platforms, digital technologies, and new business models and formats. As such, firms should utilize data resources innovatively to update their value logic, build digital ecosystems based on internet platforms, enhance digital technology integration to enable agile responses, and gain insights into emerging economic formats to promote cross-industry integration and innovation.

Digital transformation serves as a new driving force and engine for enterprise innovation. Meanwhile, the national strategy of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality has set new goals and requirements for the green development of the Chinese manufacturing industry. From the three-dimensional perspective of “strategy-resource-institution,” this paper explores the impact and mechanism of digital transformation on green technology innovation of Chinese manufacturing enterprises and the heterogeneous impact of the institutional logic of ownership structure. Using a sample of 1,016 A-share listed manufacturing companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2011 to 2019 and based on big data text mining and a negative binomial regression model, this study finds that: (1) Digital strategy significantly enhances green technology innovation capability of enterprises; (2) digital resource investment partially mediates the effect of digital strategy on the enhancement of green technology innovation capability; and (3) the ownership structure of enterprises plays a moderating role in the mediating relationship mentioned above. Specifically, compared to state-owned enterprises (SOEs), non-stateowned enterprises (NSOEs) show no significant difference in the stages where digital strategy promotes green technology innovation and guides digital resource investment. However, they demonstrate higher efficiency in transforming digital resource investment into green technology innovation. The robustness test indicates that the significant effect of digital strategy and resource investment on green technology innovation in enterprises remains valid in the medium term, with a continuous enabling effect. There is no significant difference between SOEs and NSOEs in the medium and long term in promoting green technology innovation through digital transformation. Further, introducing keyword text networks to explore the structural impact of digital strategy, this study finds that digital product and manufacturing strategy are adequate strategic dimensions to enhance green technology innovation capability, and digital financial strategy and digital marketing strategy have no direct promoting effect on green technology innovation of enterprises. From the perspectives of strategies, resources, and institutions, the research findings elucidate the process mechanisms of digital acceleration in the green transformation of manufacturing and the heterogeneous effect of ownership structure and provide critical theoretical insights into the role mechanisms and contextual factors of digitalization on green innovation in manufacturing enterprises. Moreover, this study offers scientific decision-making support for incentivizing the manufacturing industry to seize the opportunities of industrial digitalization and accelerate carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Based on data from China’s A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2017, this paper examines the influence of the contemporary values of Confucianism, namely benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity on the effectiveness of internal contro

Based on a data-driven theoretical approach, this study utilizes Qingdao Internet of Food Co., Ltd. (IoF) as a study case to explore the mechanism of digital business model innovation within manufacturing enterprises. Employing a dynamic logic framework of “data-driven processes-dynamic capability enhancement-digital business model innovation,” this paper elaborates the process of digital business model innovation using the Grounded Theory. The findings indicate that realizing digital business model innovation is contingent upon the effective utilization of organizational data resources. Data-driven processes are crucial driving factors for digital business model innovation, unfolding through three critical stages: demand source identification, scenario chain linkage, and network sharing and interaction. These data-driven approaches significantly influence and enhance organizational dynamic capabilities, supporting the intermediary mechanism of data-driven processes as the antecedents to optimize the components of an enterprise’s digital business model. From a holistic generative perspective, digital business model innovation is realized through a dynamic process encompassing three dimensions: value proposition alignment, scenario experience optimization, and value network expansion. This study aims to offer theoretical insights and practical suggestions for business model innovation in the digital economy era.

Book Excerpt

Bibliography

Corporate digital transformation and green transformation are the key paths to realizing China's high-quality development, and exploring how corporate digital transformation affects green innovation models holds both significant theoretical value and pragmatic enlightenment. By taking the A-share listed companies in China from 2002 to 2021 as research samples, this paper distinguishes between energy conservation and environmental protection green innovation models based on the IPC Green Inventory and the content of green innovation. This paper empirically examines the influence of corporate digital transformation on the green innovation model selection and its mechanism. The study finds that corporate digital transformation strongly motivates enterprises to select green innovation model, a role that stems from the utilization of digital underlying technologies. The research and development investment of digital greenization plays a mediating role in this process. Market competition, informal environmental regulations and government innovation subsidies can moderate enterprises’ strategies for selecting green innovation models. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that digital transformation drives corporate selection of energy-saving green innovation to a greater extent in industries that have a greater need for green transformation, such as the manufacturing industry. The results of this paper identify the effect of corporate digital transformation on green innovation model selection at the theoretical level and provide important insights into the coordinated development of Chinese corporate digitalization and greenization at the practical level.

Abstracts

In recent years, the internet business model has become a popular concept, and has been adopted by an increasing number of traditional enterprises. However, the question remains whether this adoption is a strategy-driven decision or a blind follow of trends. Therefore, this study is conducted on Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2020 to examine the existence, underlying motives, and economic consequences of peer effects in traditional enterprises adopting internet business models. The results show significant peer effects among traditional enterprises adopting internet business models. The examination of driving mechanisms reveals that peer effects of internet business models are more significant in enterprises with asset-light structures, higher degrees of virtualization, lower market valuations, and greater financing pressure, supporting the conceptual catering hypothesis rather than the strategic drive hypothesis. Further tests reveal that while adopting internet business models enables enterprises to receive some government subsidy and market reaction in the short term, it only promotes tactical innovation rather than real innovation and does not improve the financial performance of these enterprises. This further indicates that peer effects of internet business models are not a strategic drive but rather a matter of conceptual catering.

This paper selects China’s A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2021 as the research sample and explores the impact of digital transformation on corporate green technology innovation and the moderating role of corporate competitive position in this relationship. The research findings are as follows: Digital transformation plays a significant role in promoting corporate green technology innovation. The improvement of corporate competitive position weakens the promoting effect of digital transformation on corporate green technology innovation. The moderating effect of the corporate competition position is more pronounced in the enterprises of the eastern and western regions, as well as in the listed companies in the manufacturing industry. The promoting effect of digital transformation on utility model patent innovation is dramatically attenuated when the corporate competitive position is strengthened. However, the weakening effect on invention patent innovation is not statistically significant.

Business model innovation faces multiple tests of legitimacy. Most extant research in this area has been conducted from institutional and strategic perspectives while paying insufficient attention to the perspective of evaluators. Based on the institutionalization of China’s online car-hailing industry from 2012 to 2018, this paper analyzes the legitimacy judgment of the stakeholders from the perspective of evaluator categorization and explores the legitimation mechanism of business model innovation. It finds that evaluators judge the legitimacy of business models based on category cognition. Therefore, to achieve the bridging, spillover, and accumulation effects of legitimacy, the legitimation strategy of online car-hailing platforms should dynamically adapt to different evaluators, judgment models, and categorization standards. Ultimately, as quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, the legitimation of innovative business models is achieved in this way. In this process, stakeholders categorize and evaluate online car-hailing based on prototypes and value goals, and establish a two-way interactive mechanism, which is from behavior guided by cognition to cognition given feedback by behavior. This paper combines the legitimacy judgment with category theory to explain how individual cognition drives the emergence of new categories and identifies a series of legitimacy strategies based on categorization, thus providing theoretical support and practical inspiration for exploring the legitimation of business model innovation.

The digital transformation that induces the disruption of traditional production models is as crucial as the green development emphasized during the construction of an ecological civilization. However, there is ongoing debate about whether, and under what contextual conditions, digital transformation promotes corporate green innovation. Using data from A-share listed enterprises on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2012 to 2019, this study employs a fixed effect model to analyze the effect of digital transformation on green innovation and its specific mechanisms. There are four findings. (1) Digital transformation significantly improves green innovation in enterprises. This conclusion is supported by quantile analysis and endogenous treatment based on a multi-period difference-in-differences model. (2) Digital transformation stimulates green innovation by enhancing absorptive capacity and internal control. (3) Industry heterogeneity analysis indicates that, compared with non-state-owned enterprises, digital transformation has a greater positive effect on green innovation in state-owned enterprises. The positive effect of digital transformation on green innovation is significant in technology-intensive enterprises but not in non-technology-intensive enterprises. (4) External context tests show that in regions with stringent environmental regulations, digital transformation significantly promotes green innovation, whereas in regions with weak environmental regulations, its effect is not significant. Furthermore, the positive correlation between digital transformation and green innovation remains largely unchanged as the level of green finance increases.

Influenced by Confucian relationalism, Chinese organizations exhibit a Yuanfen-Guanxi orientation, forming a “Yuanfen circle-based” organizational identification. This stands in stark contrast to the scatter-point organizational identification grounded in

This paper incorporates individual digital literacy into corporate management practice to explore the relationship between managers’ digital literacy and the performance of corporate green technology innovation. The results show that managers' digital literacy can contribute to corporate green technology innovation. Specifically, a greater degree of digital literacy among the top management team is associated with better performance in corporate green technology innovation. Even if the management does not have an educational background in core digital technologies, their work experience related to core digital technologies such as computers and information technology can help promote corporate green technology innovation in the later stage. There is the heterogeneity in the managers' digital literacy role in promoting corporate green technology innovation, which is more significant in the sample of regions with low levels of the digital economy development, sufficient media attention, and non-heavily polluting enterprises. Digital transformation plays a mediating role between managers' digital literacy and corporate green technology innovation. Through further research, we find that the improvement of managers' digital literacy can contribute to the enhancement of corporate value in the future. The conclusions enrich the research horizon of upper echelons theory, explore the value and differentiated effect of digital human capital in the new era, and provide empirical evidence at the micro level that digital technologies promote the green and sustainable development of the economy.

Digital transformation has brought new vitality into enterprises' innovative development. Traditional manufacturing industries have leveraged digitalization to drive technological advancements, thereby promoting corporate green technology innovation and achieving the goal of coordinated transformation toward digital and green development. This paper employs annual data of China's A-share listed manufacturing companies from 2007 to 2020 to examine the impact of digital transformation on corporate green technology innovation and the underlying mechanism of this impact. The results indicate that digital transformation significantly enhances corporate green technology innovation, and this enhancing effect is even more significant in state-owned enterprises and high-tech enterprises. The mechanism test reveals that enhancing digital transformation can not only improve enterprises' information transparency and strengthen positive market expectations, but also encourage enterprises to increase R&D investment, ultimately enhancing the level of their green technology innovation. The empirical findings of this paper can provide valuable insights for government departments to formulate strategies that can promote green innovation in the manufacturing industry, drive high-quality development, and contribute to the achievement of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets.