Leading to Common Prosperity: Does Digital Transformation Help Promote Corporate Philanthropy?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether digital transformation promotes corporate philanthropy in the Chinese context. We find that corporate digital transformation enhances philanthropic giving and internal pay gap negatively moderates the effect. In addition, we validate the potential channels of decision-making and information transmission that digital transformation affects corporate philanthropy. Further testing shows that digital transformation has more positive effects on corporate philanthropy in high-level digitalized or social-trusted regions than in low-level counterparts. This study enriches our understanding of the impact mechanism of digital transformation on corporate philanthropic giving and provides a new theoretical perspective on the process of corporate philanthropy decision-making in the digital era.