进口扩张能否推动企业跨越数字鸿沟——来自中国上市企业的经验证据

Can Import Expansion Propel Companies Across the Digital Divide:Empirical Evidence from Listed Companies in China

基于中国上市企业微观数据,考察进口扩张对企业与行业内领先企业之间数字技术差距的影响。研究发现,进口扩张可有效助力企业缩短与领军企业的数字技术距离。该结论在采用工具变量克服内生性、以数字化转型程度的差距重新测度数字技术距离、处理样本选择偏误等方法进行再次检验后依然稳健。进口扩张的异质性影响渠道和对领军企业数字技术溢出的调节效应渠道是其中的内在机制。异质性分析表明,进口扩张对非国有企业、制造业企业、激烈竞争环境企业以及优良创新环境企业跨越数字鸿沟的促进作用更强。此结论为中国以主动扩大进口助力企业跨越数字鸿沟、推动数字经济平衡发展提供了启示。

Based on the micro-data of listed enterprises in China,this paper examines the impact of import expansion on the digital technology gap between enterprises and leading enterprises in the industry.The study reveals that import expansion can effectively help enterprises shorten the digital technology distance with leading enterprises.This conclusion remains robust after making retests by using instrumental variable to overcome endogeneity,re-measuring digital technology distance with the gap of digital transformation degree,and dealing with sample selection bias.The internal mechanisms are the heterogeneous influence channel of import expansion and the regulating effect channel of digital technology spillover of leading enterprises.Heterogeneity analysis shows that import expansion plays a stronger role in promoting the digital divide across regions in non-state-owned enterprises,manufacturing enterprises,enterprises with fiercecompetitive environment and enterprises with excellent innovation environment.The research findings provide inspiration for China to actively expand imports to help enterprises cross the digital divide and promote the balanced development of digital economy.