数字化转型如何提升企业竞争优势——技术市场可供性与商业模式创新的链式中介作用

How Digital Transformation Enhances Competitive Advantage:A Chain-Mediated Role of Technological Market Affordance and Business Model Innovation

如何从数字化转型中获益以提升企业竞争优势成为学术界与实践界关注的核心问题。基于技术可供性理论与商业模式创新理论,探讨数字化转型(数字技术水平和数字化应用范围)对企业竞争优势的影响机制,验证技术市场可供性(客户行为模式识别、实时市场响应、数据驱动的市场双元性)、商业模式创新在数字化转型与竞争优势间的链式中介作用。进一步地,探讨企业类型(是否为互联网企业)的调节作用,当企业属于互联网企业时,技术市场可供性中数据驱动的市场双元性、商业模式创新在数字化转型与竞争优势间的链式中介作用得以强化。结论可揭示数字化转型对企业竞争优势的影响过程,为不同行业企业开展数字化转型实践提供参考。

In the era of the digital economy,enterprises are embracing digital transformation as an imperative strategy.However,existing research on this topic falls short in analyzing how firms perceive the potential value of digital technologies from a market perspective,leading to a misalignment between technology investment and market requirements.Moreover,the significance of leveraging digital technologies to create market value in various scenarios has been overlooked.To address these gaps,this study combines the technological affordance theory and business model innovation theory to explore the impact of technological market affordance of digital technologies and business model innovation on digital transformation and competitive advantage,investigating whether they exert effects jointly.Additionally,as internet and non-internet firms operate in diverse industries and possess varying digital foundations,technology management capabilities,and degrees of technological marketization,this study also examines the moderating role of firm type in the mediating mechanism between digital transformation and competitive advantage.The study collects data through a questionnaire given to MBA and EMBA students,and management experts and doctoral students were invited for multiple discussions to refine the questionnaire items and structure.Through empirical analysis,the study reveals four findings.(1)Both digital technology level and digital application scope significantly enhance competitive advantage.(2)The three dimensions of technological market affordance(customer behavior pattern spotting,real-time market responsiveness and data-driven market ambidexterity)act as mediators between digital technology level and competitive advantage,and also between digital application scope and competitive advantage.(3)Business model innovation,along with the three dimensions of technological market affordance,serves as a chain mediator between digital application level,digital application scope,and competitive advantage.(4)The type of firm plays a moderating role in the chain mediation process.Specifically,internet companies exhibit more significant mediation effects of data-driven market ambidexterity and business model innovation in the processes of digital transformation and competitive advantage.The theoretical contributions of this study lie in three aspects.Firstly,it integrates technology affordance theory and business model theory and reveals the inherent process mechanism between digital transformation and competitive advantage.Building on the foundation of big data technological market affordance,the research analyzes the potential value of enterprises'perceptions of digital technology applications,explores user behavior patterns,agilely responds to market demands,discerns existing markets,and identifies new market development trends.Secondly,it enriches the study of the digital technology management process and responds to the main logical framework of"innovation support-innovation process-innovation output".It covers the construction of digital support foundations,combines external market and customer information perception,and realizes business model innovation.Finally,the study reveals the moderating effects of internet and non-internet firm types on the mediating mechanism between digital transformation and competitive advantage.and highlights that internet companies with higher levels of digitization can better generate value through data-driven market ambidexterity,which expands the technological market affordance theory of digital technologies in different contexts.The paper has some practical implications for managers in the context of digital transformation.Firstly,managers are advised to enhance their market perception of digital technology.Beyond improving operational efficiency by digital technologies,managers should actively seek and assimilate heterogeneous digital technologies from the external business environment.This proactive approach will enable companies to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and leverage them for competitive advantage.Secondly,based on the market perception of technology,enterprises need to integrate external business scenario elements with customer value propositions.By marketizing specific digital technologies according to different market scenarios,they should innovate the structure,content,and governance of transactions.Continuously refining digital-driven products and services and promptly adjusting current business models will lead to a more effective enhancement of competitive advantage.Thirdly,based on the characteristics of internet companies and non-internet companies,managers should recognize the commonalities and specific features of digital transformation.Whether internet or non-internet companies,they need to focus on the process of commercializing digital technology outcomes and develop digital technology driven by business needs.For internet companies,they should leverage digital technology to explore and expand markets,products,and services,discovering new digital technology markets and forming new value growth curves.