Exploring the Relationship Between Enterprise Digital Transformation and Green Technological Innovation: From the Perspective of Innovation Elements Searching

Abstract

Digital transformation has emerged as a crucial lever for promoting sustainable development worldwide. The question of whether and how digital transformation can empower green technological innovation (GTI) represents an urgent topic that necessitates exploration. Given the advantages of digital technology in optimizing factor allocation, this study examines whether the digital transformation of enterprises can enhance their capability and motivation for GTI by facilitating innovation elements searching (IES), using data from 253 manufacturing companies in China. Based on this, we categorize the impact pathway of digital transformation on GTI into two stages, using IES as a dividing point, and empirically test the influence of external environmental dynamism in the first stage and the impact of corporate environmental commitment in the second stage. The research findings indicate that 1) digital transformation exerts a positive influence on GTI within enterprises, characterized by diverse transformation pathways. Notably, the depth and breadth of IES serve as significant mediators, with the direct pathway contributing more than the two indirect pathways. 2) As the dynamism of the external environment increases, the positive effect of digital transformation on the breadth and depth of IES diminishes, revealing a moderating effect that has certain limits. Specifically, when external environmental dynamics exceed critical threshold, the moderating effect becomes insignificant. 3) Within a specified boundary range, corporate environmental commitment positively influences the relationship between IES and GTI, with variations observed in the breadth and depth of IES. This study offers valuable insights into the pathways and mechanisms of the integrated development of digitalization and green growth, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals.