Digital Transformation and Corporate Sustainability: The Moderating Effect of Ambidextrous Innovation

Abstract

Digital transformation (DT) has become the new normal. Research has focused on the effect of the overall level of DT in enterprises. However, the effects of DT across different dimensions remain unclear. This study divided DT into technology- (TDT) and market-based digital transformation (MDT). It examined the effects on corporate sustainability and how ambidextrous innovation affects the relationship between both types and corporate sustainability. This study used the two-way fixed-effects model and the two-stage least squares method to study A-share listed companies in China from 2013 to 2021. The results showed that both TDT and MDT had positive effects on corporate sustainability. The higher the levels of exploratory and exploitative innovation in enterprises, the stronger the contribution of both types of DT to corporate sustainability. The findings validate the research on DT in line with the resource-based view, enrich the literature on and expand the boundary conditions of DT applications across various dimensions, and offer useful insights for practitioners.