Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises Research Articles

The impact of digitalization on enterprise value creation: An empirical analysis of Chinese manufacturing enterprises

This study proposes a novel production function of digital empowerment. It constructs a theoretical framework to analyze the digital enabling process for enterprises from the production factor and economic activity aspects. It uses data mining technology to measure the degree of digitalization, extracts a typical relationship model between digitalization degree and enterprise performance, and digs out the association rules among traditional factors, digital factors, and economic activities under different relationship models. The results show that the digitalization degree and the digitalization enabling the level of mechanical and electronic enterprises are higher than those of light textile enterprises and resource-processing enterprises. The substitution elasticities and the association rules among factors and activities also have enterprise heterogeneity, which leads to differences in the digital transformation paths of different types of enterprises.

The Belt and Road Initiative and enterprise green innovation: evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Building a green silk road is an important path toward implementation of the UN 2030 sustainable development goals. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the sustainable development goals of the “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) by evaluating the relationship between the BRI and enterprise green innovation. Employing the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework to build a theoretical model based on the micro data of Chinese manufacturing enterprises from 2011 to 2018, and using the difference-in-differences method, this paper analyzes the BRI’s influence on the green innovation of enterprises. The research results indicate that the BRI has significantly enhanced the level of green innovation in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. This effect is still robust after the analysis of PSM-DID excluding the interference of policies in the same period and heterogeneity analysis. The results of the mechanism analysis show that the percentage of R&D employees, policy support and R&D expenditure can enhance the positive effects of the BRI’s influence on enterprise green innovation. The marginal contribution of this paper is to identify the causal relationship between the BRI and green innovation, add a new micro perspective to the research on the relationship between the BRI and sustainable development, and reveal a new micro mechanism.

The impact of internet on innovation of manufacturing export enterprises: Internal mechanism and micro evidence

Based on the matching data in the China Customs, Chinese industrial enterprises, and patent databases, this study uses the propensity score matching method (PSM) and the double difference model (DID) to study the impact of Internet use on enterprise innovation. The results show that Internet use can significantly promote the innovation level of China's manufacturing export enterprises, with obvious heterogeneity among regions. Compared with the central and western regions, the role of the Internet in promoting manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation in the eastern region is more significant. Compared with the non-coastal regions, manufacturing export enterprises in the coastal regions benefit more. The promotion effect of the Internet on manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation has a scale threshold and varies by ownership type: it is more significant on large and medium-sized enterprises, while state-owned enterprises have a higher innovation level than private enterprises. Mechanism analysis shows that Internet applications can, indeed, promote manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation by reducing export costs and management innovation costs.The digital economy is becoming the driving force of development leading the era, and the use of the Internet has an important impact on enterprise digitalization and enterprise innovation. Based on the data of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, this study uses the propensity score matching method (PSM) and the double difference model (DID) to study the impact of Internet use on enterprise innovation. The results show that Internet use can significantly promote the innovation level of China's manufacturing export enterprises, with obvious heterogeneity among regions. Compared with the central and western regions, the role of the Internet in promoting manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation in the eastern region is more significant. Compared with the non-coastal regions, manufacturing export enterprises in the coastal regions benefit more. The promotion effect of the Internet on manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation has a scale threshold and varies by ownership type: it is more significant on large and medium-sized enterprises, while state-owned enterprises have a higher innovation level than private enterprises. Mechanism analysis shows that Internet applications can, indeed, promote manufacturing export enterprises’ innovation by reducing export costs and management innovation costs. This study contributes to the micro analysis from the perspective of dual heterogeneity of enterprises and regions, which provides new evidence for explaining the development of internet economy and enterprise innovation in developing countries.

Technological Innovation, Product Quality and Upgrading of Manufacturing Value Chain: Empirical Evidence from China

The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between enterprise technological innovation, export product quality, and the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. The study is based on panel data from Chinese manufacturing enterprises between 2000 and 2013 and uses a multi-dimensional fixed-effect method to analyze the moderating effect of enterprise export product quality on the relationship between technological innovation and the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. The results show that technological innovation significantly promotes the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. The regression analysis indicates that a 1% increase in enterprise technological innovation leads to a 0.28% increase in the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. Similarly, the study demonstrates that improving the quality of exported products significantly enhances the manufacturing industry’s status in the global value chain. The regression analysis reveals that a 1% increase in the quality of exported products leads to a 0.14% increase in the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. Moreover, the research identifies a threshold value of 0.4438 for the moderating effect of enterprise export product quality on the impact of technological innovation on the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. When the quality of exported products is below the threshold value, it has a strong positive regulatory effect on technological innovation, promoting the upgrading of the manufacturing value chain. However, once the quality of exported products exceeds the threshold value, its regulatory effect becomes insignificant. The study’s findings have important implications for enterprises looking to overcome the “dilemma of scientific and technological innovation” and promote the intelligent development of the manufacturing industry. The research conclusions have strong reference value for promoting the combination of technology innovation and business model innovation in manufacturing enterprises. This will allow for climbing the high-end links of the global value chain and achieving sustainable development.

Institutional Differences and the Choice of Outward Foreign Direct Investment Mode under the “Belt and Road” Initiative: Experience Analysis Based on China’s Manufacturing Enterprises

Based on 1692 outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) events of 735 A-share listed companies in China’s manufacturing industry from 2010 to 2019, this paper empirically examines the effect of investment motivation and the impact of institutional differences between China and the host country on the choice of OFDI entry mode; the paper also investigates the moderating effect of the “Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) on Chinese manufacturing enterprises (CMEs) through use of the logit model. The empirical results show that, with greater institutional differences, CMEs become more inclined to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Furthermore, a positive moderating effect of resource-seeking motivation on the choice of M&A OFDI by CMEs is observed. The signing of the “Belt and Road” cooperation document positively moderates institutional differences in promoting CMEs—especially state-owned CMEs—to choose the M&A mode. The “Belt and Road” Initiative provides an efficient supply system for OFDI by CMEs. This study enriches and extends existing institutional theories and provides suggestions for the promotion of the geopolitical pattern and international cooperation regarding the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

Impact of digital input on enterprise green productivity: Micro evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry

Digital input, as an important engine for high-quality development, has provided new impetus for green transformation and development of manufacturing enterprises. In this study, unique panel data samples matched from the Global Multi-regional Input-output Database from 2000 to 2014, the Chinese Industrial Enterprise database, and the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Pollution Database are used to estimate the green productivity of Chinese manufacturing enterprises by adopting a non-radial and non-angular SBM model that considers unexpected outputs. Furthermore, a panel Tobit model is adopted to empirically test the impact of digital input on the green productivity of manufacturing enterprises. The research results indicate that: (1) Digital input has a significant positive impact on the green productivity of manufacturing enterprises, and a series of robustness tests have confirmed this conclusion. This research conclusion provides micro evidence and empirical support for empowering the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises with digital economic development. (2) The heterogeneity analysis indicates that, for different enterprises, digital input contributes more significantly to green productivity in foreign-funded enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and larger-scale enterprises. Regarding industry types, digital input positively contributes to green productivity only in labor-intensive and knowledge-technology-intensive manufacturing enterprises. In terms of regions, the contribution of digital input to the green productivity of enterprises in the east and central regions and regions with higher levels of industrial agglomeration is more significant. Heterogeneity analysis from different perspectives can help optimize enterprise choice behavior and green transformation development strategies, thus achieving better digital empowerment. (3) Further mechanism tests reveal that digital input promotes the improvement of green productivity of manufacturing enterprises through the effects of technological progress, factor structure optimization, and innovation, thereby providing a feasible path for relying on digital transformation to promote the improvement of green productivity of manufacturing enterprises.

Big data application, factor allocation, and green innovation in Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Green innovation is key to promoting the manufacturing industry's green development and transformation. One way to promote green innovation in manufacturing enterprises can be the deep integration of big data. Using data on listed Chinese manufacturing enterprises from 2014 to 2019, we examine the impacts of big data on green innovation and the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Using a panel fixed effects regression model, we find that big data significantly and positively affects green innovation. Internal mechanism analyses reveal that big data improves the manufacturing industry's green innovation by improving the factor allocation efficiency for both labor and capital. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that the promotional effect of big data on green innovation is more prominent in private enterprises than in state-owned enterprises. The government should formulate big data application policies, and provide incentives for the deep integration of big data in manufacturing enterprises to accelerate green innovation.

Assessing the impact of digitization and servitization of manufacturing firms in the context of carbon emission reduction: Evidence from a microsurvey in China

In the context of carbon emission reduction, both servitization and digitalization of manufacturing enterprises are important ways to promote the high-quality development of manufacturing enterprises. The coordinated development of digitalization and servitization may provide a feasible path for enterprises to realize energy conservation and emission reduction across the value chain. Based on the 393 valid questionnaires issued by the Association of Manufacturing Enterprises and government agencies, this paper uses the methods of Grey Relational Analysis and Topsis to construct three major indicator systems of manufacturing enterprise service, digitalization and high-quality economic development. Based on the Cobb–Douglas production function regression analysis, the relevant assumptions involved in the model of promoting the service of manufacturing enterprises and the model of promoting the digitalization of manufacturing enterprises are verified. The empirical results show that, firstly, the digitalization capability of manufacturing enterprises can positively affect the servitization performance of manufacturing enterprises. Secondly, the digital capability of manufacturing enterprises has a significant positive impact on both breakthrough service innovation and incremental innovation of manufacturing enterprises. Thirdly, breakthrough service innovation and incremental service innovation play a partial mediating role. Fourthly, the degree of servitization of manufacturing enterprises has a significant positive impact on the digital demand of supporting customer behavior service business and supporting customer product service. There are three possible contributions of this paper. Firstly, it has further enriched and deepened the research on the interactive mechanism of digitalization and service of manufacturing enterprises. The second is to design a scientific and systematic evaluation system for the digitalization and service level of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, and measure and evaluate the coupling and coordination level of digitalization and service level of Chinese manufacturing enterprises based on this. Thirdly, it reveals the promotion of the coordinated development of digitalization and service in manufacturing enterprises to the high-quality development of manufacturing enterprises in China and puts forward that the coordinated development of digitalization and service in manufacturing enterprises is a way to promote the high-quality development of manufacturing enterprises.

Heterogeneity and influence factors of carbon productivity: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Understanding influence factors and heterogeneity of carbon productivity in manufacturing enterprises can provide important guidance for designing carbon reduction policies. In this study, the heterogeneity of carbon productivity of Chinese manufacturing enterprises was measured by employing enterprise-level data from 2001 to 2011. The empirical findings demonstrated that carbon productivity did not show a decreasing trend over time, but the changing pattern varied across industries. Based on a panel regression model, the result also found that both enterprise features and external factors significantly affected carbon productivity. Asset size, enterprise age, management level, export intensity, marketization level and etc. significantly increased carbon productivity, while enterprise financing and government subsidies decreased the productivity. In addition, effects of factors on carbon productivity differed by enterprise types, so governments should formulate differentiated environmental policies for various enterprises.

Research on the Impact of Digital Economy on Manufacturing Total Factor Productivity

This paper empirically tests the impact mechanism of digital economy development on manufacturing total factor productivity, using data from Chinese manufacturing enterprises from 2011 to 2020, and based on the theoretical framework of the impact of digital economy development on manufacturing total factor productivity. The development of the digital economy has been found to have a significant positive impact on the total factor productivity of the manufacturing industry. The heterogeneity effect demonstrates that the digital economy in coastal areas has a significant effect on the improvement of manufacturing total factor productivity, with the eastern coastal area having the strongest effect; the digital economy in the Yellow River’s middle reaches, the Yangtze River’s middle reaches, and the southwest also having a significant effect, with the effect in the southwest region being more significant; and the digital economy in the northwest and northeast having no effect. Possible reasons include larger bottlenecks in the western region’s labor force structure, technology level, and management capabilities, which may lead to the inability of enterprises to effectively absorb the dividends of digital change and apply the scenarios, thus affecting the release of their productivity effects.

The Impact of Outward FDI on the Employment Skills Structure of Chinese Firms

Based on the panel data of China's manufacturing public listed firms from 2011 to 2015, this paper examines the impact of Chinese manufacturing enterprises' foreign direct investment on the employment skills structure using the fixed-effect model. We found that firms with OFDI, compared to those domestic firms, tend to reduce their employment of producer and finance employees, increase the employment of sales, technical and unskilled labor; increase the share of technical workers and reduce the proportion of producer, finance, sales, and unskilled workers. Compare to intermittent OFDI, firms with continuous OFDI have more employment of sales and technical personnel. With respect to OFDI host countries, OFDI toward OECD countries has negative effect on non-skill jobs, while toward non-OECD countries has positive effect on skill jobs, such as finance, sale and techs job. Using the PSM method to conduct an endogenous test, we find that the key results of OFDI impacts remain robust.

Digital Transformation and Export Quality of Chinese Products: An Analysis Based on Innovation Efficiency and Total Factor Productivity

In recent years, Chinese manufacturing enterprises have competed to chase the wave of the “digital revolution”; digital empowerment has become an important strategic path of technological reform for many manufacturing enterprises. Based on the micro data of listed companies, this paper investigates the impact of digital transformation of Chinese listed companies on the quality of their export products. It is found that digital transformation can significantly improve the quality of enterprises’ export products. After a series of robustness tests, this conclusion is still valid, and there are two ways to improve innovation performance and total factor productivity. The export product quality enhancement effect of enterprise digital transformation also has the heterogeneity of ownership, region, and industry. Furthermore, this paper also examines the impact of digital transformation on the internal salary gap of enterprises, and finds that digital transformation may increase the internal salary gap of enterprises and form a “masking effect” on the quality of export products. To a certain extent, this paper deepens the understanding of the study of enterprise digital transformation on the quality of export products and its differences and provides certain guidance for enterprises to implement the strategy of digital transformation.

The incentive effect of government subsidies on the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises

PurposeChina's digital economy is flourishing and playing a pivotal role in the national economy. Government subsidies, as an important tool for the national treasury, are a “reassurance” for the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relations between the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises and government subsidies to provide inspiration for promoting the digitization and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry and facilitate enterprises' innovative development.Design/methodology/approachBased on the panel data of 2,928 manufacturing listed companies in China from 2016 to 2020, this paper empirically tests the effect of subsidies on the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises using fixed-effect econometric regression.FindingsThe results illustrate that subsidies effectively incentivize digital transformation in manufacturing enterprises, and verify different situations through heterogeneity. Further analysis of the moderating effect shows that the innovation level and servitization level of manufacturing enterprises positively moderated the relationship between government subsidies and the enterprise's digital transformation.Originality/valueBased on Chinese manufacturing enterprise samples, this paper empirically tests the incentive effect of government subsidies on the digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises, therefore clarifying the main regulatory effects. This paper could provide enlightenment for manufacturing enterprises to make good use of government subsidies to improve their digital ability, thereby enhancing competitiveness in the digital economy era.

Can Digital Transformation Drive Green Transformation in Manufacturing Companies?—Based on Socio-Technical Systems Theory Perspective

The current world’s green economy and digital economy collide at an accelerated pace, and the deep integration of digitalization and greening has become a new requirement for high-quality industrial transformation. Premised on a socio-technical system (STS)’s theoretical viewpoint from Chinese manufacturing firms, the study examines the effects of the digital transformation (DT) of companies on green transformation (GT), as well as the function of channels and processes. This study uses 70 samples of A-share-listed Chinese manufacturing companies from 2013 to 2020; a combination of linear regression and fsQCA is used to empirically test the research model and analyze the equivalence path. It is found that (1) DT significantly drives the GT of manufacturing firms; (2) DT influences the GT of manufacturing firms by alleviating the information asymmetry problem; and (3) executive team heterogeneity plays a positive mechanism role in the relationship between DT and GT. The qualitative comparative analysis yields two types of paths: (1) the main constructs that shape high GT levels are high DT intensity, low information asymmetry, and high TMT gender heterogeneity, which mainly arise in the eastern region and play a more pronounced role in state-owned enterprises, heavy pollution, and high-tech industries; (2) for non-state-owned enterprises in traditional industries in the central and western regions with average digital development, high TMT gender heterogeneity is the key to GT. The study expands the application of related theories and has practical implications for how Chinese manufacturing enterprises can effectively promote GT.

Relating green information acquisition, absorptive capacity, institutional pressure, and firm performance: an environmentally sustainable perspective.

Numerous Chinese manufacturing organizations are grappling with the challenge of absorbing and using greeninformation acquisitionacross the supply chain to achieve excellent firm performance. Utilizing the organizational learning theory's indirect stream of research, we address this research gap by developing a moderated-mediation framework to investigate the impact of green information acquisitionand institutionalpressure on a firm's performance. Hypotheses are evaluated by takinga sample of 567 manufacturing enterprises in China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been applied to analyze and investigate the proposed hypotheses. Empirical results indicate that absorptive capacity significantly mediates the relationship between green information acquisition and firm performance. In a similar vein, institutional pressure significantly moderates the relationship between green information acquisition and firm performance. Study findings have essential managerial recommendationsfor Chinese manufacturing enterprises, proposing that they considerably enhance their absorptive capacity and continuously monitor institutionalpressure to reap the advantages of green information acquisitionon firm performance.

Entry Strategies of Chinese High-Tech Manufacturing Enterprises to the Western Market: Post-pandemic Era and Deglobalization

In 2019, the world economy entered the most turbulent period since the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade disputes intensified, geopolitical tensions and other destabilizing factors in the international community increased, and many countries imposed stricter regulatory scrutiny on foreign investment. Unilateralist, investment protectionism is prevalent, and international relations are becoming increasingly complex, which has profoundly affected the process of international expansion. Developing countries’ voices are increasing because of the rise of China and other factors. How can Chinese enterprises effectively avoid the above threats and risks and seize development opportunities through a correct entry strategy? This paper puts forward practical suggestions.

Corrigendum: Green supply chain integration, supply chain agility and green innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises

Corrigendum: Green supply chain integration, supply chain agility and green innovation performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprisesAffiliations of all authors as they appear in the published original version of the article Bochen Zhang 1, Shukuan Zhao 1 *, Xueyuan Fan 1 , Shuang Wang 1 and Dong Shao21 School of Business and Management, Jilin University, Changchun, China,2 School of Business, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China* Correspondence: zhaosk@jlu.edu.cnKeywords: same as original articleCorrigendum on: Zhang B, Zhao S, Fan X, Wang S and Shao D (2022), Green supply chainintegration, supply chain agility and green innovation performance: Evidence from Chinesemanufacturing enterprises. Front. Environ. Sci. 10:1045414. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2022.1045414. Incorrect AffiliationIn the published article, there was an error in affiliation [1]. Instead of “[Shukuan Zhao 2 *]”, it should be “[Shukuan Zhao 1 *]”. The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.

Impacts of Digital Information Management Systems on Green Transformation of Manufacturing Enterprises.

Under the background of increasingly prominent environmental problems, the establishment and application of digital information management systems established by the digital economy have brought new opportunities and challenges to the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises. Considering the micro level of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, does the adoption of information management systems really promote the improvement of the green transformation level of manufacturing enterprises? This paper takes the adoption of digital information management systems by China's enterprises as a "quasi natural" experiment and uses the Difference-in-Difference and Propensity Score Matching model (PSM-DID) to explore its impact on the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises and its mechanism. The study found that the adoption of digital information management systems by enterprises significantly improved the green transformation level of manufacturing enterprises, especially the symbolic green transformation level, and had no significant positive effect on the substantive green transformation level. The mechanism analysis shows that manufacturing enterprises can achieve green transformation by adopting information management systems to improve the digital level, strengthen green innovation ability, and increase the redundant resources of enterprises. The heterogeneity analysis based on the internal governance and external environment of enterprises shows that the adoption of digital information management systems by manufacturing enterprises has significantly improved the green transformation level of non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises with high corporate governance, non-heavily polluting enterprises, and enterprises in the eastern region. The research conclusion enriches the research related to digitalization and green transformation of enterprises and has important inspiration for Chinese manufacturing enterprises to use digitalization capabilities to seek green sustainable development under the wave of digital economy development.

Career Management of R&D Employees on Organizational Competence: A Perspective from Chinese High-Tech Manufacturing Enterprises

Past studies have shown that employee career management in Chinese high-tech manufacturing companies can affect the individual performance of employees, and then affect the overall performance of the company; Qualification management is an important means for corporate human resources to intervene in employee career management and has a certain impact on employee variable career; And employee variable career has certain influence on organizational competence. This purpose of this study is to further explore the influencing factors of the organizational competence of Chinese high-tech manufacturing enterprises in the field of talent capability management. This study used the quantitative design and selects more than 60 high-tech manufacturing enterprises in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Suzhou, Jiangsu, and Xi’an, Shaanxi, and collects survey questionnaires through the Internet platform, and uses factor analysis to analyze the influencing factors in organizational competence, qualification management , employee career management and variable career , seek the internal relationship among different variables ; Put forward dimensions for reference in terms of employee capability management and organizational competence of Chinese high-tech manufacturing enterprises. The results of this study have certain theoretical and practical implications and significance for Chinese high-tech manufacturing enterprises to reduce the turnover rate of knowledge-based employees in the R&D system and continuously improve organizational competence in the era of knowledge economy. At the same time, it concluded and provides an innovative perspective for theorists who study the relationship between employee capability management and organizational ability.

Digital Transformation of Production Tools: Industrial Robots Transform Inventory Management in Manufacturing

Industrial transformation characterized by informatization, digitization and intelligence is advancing in depth, and intelligent technologies are being used on the ground, and the results of digital transformation in the production field, represented by industrial robots, have been widely integrated into economic production activities, so it is necessary to study the economic consequences of them. In this research, the influence of using industrial robots on the inventory management capabilities of Chinese manufacturing enterprises is investigated by using data related to inventory management of listed Chinese manufacturing enterprises from 2011-2019, and an index of industrial robot penetration of Chinese manufacturing enterprises is constructed. The empirical results show that industrial robots significantly improve the inventory control ability of enterprises. Controlling for factors such as firm characteristics, a 1% increase in the penetration rate of industrial robots in manufacturing firms was associated with a 10.66-day reduction in inventory turnover days. A test of heterogeneity revealed that firms with low financing constraints and technology-intensive firms improved their inventory control capabilities more. The study verifies the effect of industrial robots on the inventory control capability of enterprises and provides decision support for enterprises to carry out digital transformation in the production area.