This study aims to explore how the digital transformation affects innovation performance of enterprises. To give manufacturing companies a theoretical foundation and management recommendations for enhancing innovation performance, this study examines the moderating effect of digital strategic cognition and digital leadership from the perspective of the top management team.
A questionnaire survey was conducted and valid samples were collected from 223 Chinese manufacturing enterprises. This study built a theoretical model for empirical testing. It takes digital transformation (including two dimensions of digital technology and digital process) as the independent variables, enterprise innovation performance as the dependent variable and digital strategic cognition and digital leadership as moderating variables.
According to the findings, digital transformation significantly improves overall innovation performance of enterprises. Digital strategic cognition positively moderates the relationship between digital process and innovation performance, but the moderating effect on the relationship between digital technology and innovation performance is not significant. Digital leadership has a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between digital technology and innovation performance, as well as the relationship between digital process and innovation performance.
This study provides some unique research perspectives in the following aspects. First, from the perspective of the Top Management Team, this study expands the research on the moderating conditions of the impact of digital transformation on innovation performance. Second, this study optimizes dimensions of digital transformation. This study examines how the two elements of digital transformation – digital technology and digital process-relate to innovation performance and variations in moderating mechanisms. Third, this study gives some practical inspirations. It clearly outlined the complementary role of digital strategic cognition and digital leadership playing in the transformation process. It also offers enterprises specific management insights to promote digital transformation and enhance innovation efficiency.
