The paradox of digitalization, competitiveness, and sustainability: A firm-level study of natural resources exploitation in post Covid-19 for China

Abstract

The Oil and Gas (O&G) sector plays a crucial role in the world economy, and its operation has many social and environmental impacts. The influx of digital technology has transmuted the business landscape, including this sector. The impact of technology on this sector has been more prominent in the post-COVID world, where firms are looking forward to novel methods for attaining sustainability and competitiveness. This study explores the linkage between digitalization, sustainability and competitiveness using the firm level data from Oil and Gas sector of People's Republic of China (PRC). Likewise, the study aims to examine digitalization's impact on promoting sustainability. We employ partial least square structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationship. Our empirical findings confirm a significant and positive impact of digitalization on the sustainability and competitiveness of the firms. Likewise, results confirm the mediating role of sustainability in the association between digitalization and sustainability. These findings reveal that digitalization can be instrumental in attaining sustainability-led competitiveness in China's Oil and Gas sector. The in-depth analysis reveals that digitalization by improving the processes' visibility and higher-level integration contributes to the sustainability of the firms. This study also provides useful insights regarding adopting digital technologies in China's oil and gas sector. It has recommendations for the managers, policymakers, and regulators to promote sustainability in the post-Covid world.