This paper takes Wafangdian Bearing Group as a case study and adopts a single-case study method to explore how the long-established state-owned enterprises release the potential of digital transformation by digital unlocking. It is found that digital unlocking is the key to the successful digital transformation and “curve overtaking” of the long-established state-owned enterprises lacking resources and capability base. The digital unlocking of long-established state-owned enterprises includes three dimensions, namely, calibrating digital strategy direction, releasing organizational flexibility and activating employees’ motivation. Calibration measures include formulating a digital transformation strategy and aligning with business strategy; release measures include breaking the traditional organizational structure, reconstructing management system and standardizing business processes; activation measures include breaking IT and business barriers, reconstructing employee knowledge system and internalizing employee digital thinking.

Based on the coupled framework of the Eclectic Paradigm (OLI) and dynamic capability theory, this paper takes the internationalization of BYD New Energy Vehicles as an example to explore the evolutionary mechanism of dynamic capabilities of advanced manufacturing enterprises with full industrial chains and their driving role in competitive advantages. The study finds that: ①Dynamic capabilities and OLI advantages co-evolve: resource-driven reconstruction of ownership advantages, institution-driven acquisition of locational legitimacy, and value-driven upgrading of internalization advantages. ②The full industrial chain structure is the core medium for the coordination between dynamic capabilities and OLI, and its hierarchical evolution of “vertical integration-module adaptation-ecological openness” supports enterprises’ transition from technological control to ecological dominance.③Dynamic capabilities evolve in stages through the path of “resource-driven—institution-driven—value-driven”: focusing on core technology integration and market strategy formulation in the resource-driven stage; strengthening compliance breakthroughs and localization practices in the institution-driven stage; and achieving standard output through ecological empowerment in the value-driven stage.

Using data from Chinese listed platform enterprises between 2008 and 2023, this study employs a multi-period DID (difference-in-differences) approach to assess the impact of platform enterprise mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on labor income share. The results show that platform enterprise M&As significantly reduce labor income share through three channels: enhancing market power, driving technological progress, and fostering the gig economy. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the negative impact of platform enterprise M&As on labor income share is more pronounced in firms with high financing constraints, in high-tech industries, and in regions with weaker labor protection. Further analysis reveals that platform enterprise M&As increase the labor income share of high-skilled workers while squeezing the labor income share of low-skilled workers. Additionally, the impact of platform enterprise M&As on labor income share is related to the scale of the merger, with larger merger scales significantly reducing the labor income share of firms.

ased on the organizational information processing theory, this paper takes 515 valid survey samples from manufacturing enterprises as research samples to study whether and how big data analytics capability affects green innovation. The results show that: big data analysis capability has a significantly positive impact on green innovation; digital supply chain platform plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between big data analytics capability and green innovation; digital supply chain platform and green supply chain integration play a chain mediating role in the positive impact on big data analysis capability and green innovation; control-oriented culture negatively moderates the chain mediating effect.

Based on the technological-economic paradigm theory framework, this study constructs a relational model between artificial intelligence (AI) and the “lock-in effect”in enterprise suppliers, and explores the mechanisms from the perspective of advantages of the information and competition. On this basis, an empirical test is conducted using samples of non-financial A-share listed companies in China from 2007 to 2023. The results show that AI can effectively mitigate the “lock-in effect”of enterprise supplier. After fully considering the issues of endogeneity and robustness, the results remain valid. AI alleviates the supplier “lock-in effect” by enhancing firms’ information and competitive advantages. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the relationship between AI and the supplier “lock-in effect” is influenced by national policies and local tax burdens, and is significant only among manufacturing firms.

Based on the social Information Processing Theory, this study collected three-wave survey data from 278 R&D employees in an electronics technology group in eastern China to explore the interactive effects of creation incentive and creation constraint on employees’ creative deviance. The results indicate that: in organizations with high creation incentive and loose creation constraints (i.e., high sanction flexibility, high avoidance of premature evaluation), employees have a higher degree of psychological safety, making them more likely to engage in creative deviance.

Based on the “Task-Relationship-Change” three-dimensional leadership theory and the grounded theory, this paper deeply explores the connotation and structure of digital leadership. Through completing exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to test the 6 dimensions of digital leadership, this study develops the digital leadership scale that includes 30 items. The dimensions include digital change thinking, digital vision inspiration, digital tool application, digital strategy promotion, digital communication and collaboration, and digital empowerment support. The results of factor analysis indicate that the reliability and validity of the scale are all at an ideal level. Finally, this study tries to test the relationship among digital leadership, knowledge sharing behavior, and creativity.

Based on regulatory focus theory, this study examines how organizational AI readiness, an organization practice during the early stage of AI transformation, shapes employee job crafting. Using three-wave survey data from 398 manufacturing employees, the results reveal that learning motivation partially mediates the relationship between organizational AI readiness and promotion-focused job crafting, while impression management motivation fully mediates the relationship between organizational AI readiness and prevention-focused job crafting. Moreover, protean career orientation positively moderates the effects of organizational AI readiness on both learning motivation and impression management motivation. It also positively moderates the mediating effect of learning motivation in the relationship between organizational AI readiness and promotion-focused job crafting, as well as the mediating effect of impression management motivation in the relationship between organizational AI readiness and prevention-focused job crafting.

Based on regulatory focus theory and the behavioral theory of the firm, we empirically examine the impact of top management teams’ environmental regulatory focus on corporate green innovation preferences and its boundary conditions using data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2022. Results show that environmental promotion focus boosts firms’ preference for substantive green innovation, while environmental prevention focus inhibits it. Additionally, positive environmental performance feedback weakens the effect of promotion focus and mitigates the negative impact of prevention focus. Negative feedback, on the other hand, strengthens the positive influence of promotion focus and exacerbates the negative effect of prevention focus. Further analysis reveals that positive feedback has a stronger moderating role in non-heavy-polluting industries, while negative feedback is more influential in heavy-polluting industries.

A dimensional model of entrepreneurial reflection was constructed and its measurement scale was developed and validated. Then, based on the organizational resilience theory, a theoretical framework was established with “cognition—behavior—capability” as the main line. Drawing on 302 samples from new ventures, regression analysis was used to verify the influence mechanism of entrepreneurial reflection on the organizational resilience of new ventures. The research finds that entrepreneurial reflection consists of four dimensions: information search, team interaction, cognitive correction, and shared understanding; entrepreneurial reflection has a significantly positive impact on organizational resilience; routine renewal plays a mediating role between entrepreneurial reflection and organizational resilience; and the application of digital technology enhances the positive correlation between entrepreneurial reflection and routine renewal.

From a governance perspective, the K-means clustering method is used to identify three user groups. The NCA and fsQCA methods are combined to explore how the virtual brand community governance mechanisms affect the innovative behavior of different user groups. The findings are as follows: First, there are similarities in the impact of virtual brand community governance mechanisms on the innovation behavior of different user groups. Network convention is the common necessary condition, and users’ innovation behavior is jointly driven by multiple governance mechanisms. Second, there are differences in the impacts. Member embeddedness is the unique necessary condition for core users, and community incentive is the unique necessary condition for long-tail users. Knowledge protection is more crucial for leading users to engage in innovation behavior, while network conventions and member embeddedness are more important for core users to carry out innovation behavior. In addition, for some core users and long-tail users, the relationship governance mechanism plays a more important role in their innovative behavior.

Drawing upon institutional theory and resource dependence theory, this study selects data from A-share listed manufacturing firms in Shanghai and Shenzhen spanning 2011 to 2022. Utilizing a difference-in-differences methodology, it investigates the impact and underlying mechanisms through which the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone (NBDCPZ)—a policy not explicitly targeted at carbon reduction or emission abatement—affects corporate carbon performance. The findings reveal that the NBDCPZ significantly enhances enterprises’ carbon performance, a conclusion that remains robust after a series of sensitivity analyses. Mechanism analysis indicates that the NBDCPZ improves corporate carbon performance through digital driving, green innovation, and the strengthening of human and financial capital security. Additionally, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the facilitating effects of the NBDCPZ on carbon performance are more pronounced in industries with higher pollution levels, regions with stricter environmental regulations, firms led by executives with elevated green awareness, areas characterized by stronger governmental governance, higher media attention, and heightened public environmental concern.

Based on institutional theory, this study empirically examines the impact of social trust on corporate ESG rating divergence and its underlying mechanisms using a sample of A-share listed companies in China from 2018 to 2022. The findings reveal that social trust can significantly reduce corporate ESG rating divergence. Mechanism tests indicate that social trust helps improve both the internal and external information environment of enterprises, thereby mitigating ESG rating divergence. Further analysis demonstrates that the inhibitory effect of social trust on ESG rating divergence is more pronounced when companies exhibit stronger internal controls, operate in regions with weaker marketization, have executives with higher environmental awareness, and face greater public environmental concerns. Additionally, social trust shows more significant alleviating effects on rating divergence in the social and governance dimensions of ESG. Economic consequence tests suggest that by mitigating ESG rating divergence, social trust ultimately enhances corporate performance and capital market performance.

Based on the signal theory and using Luckin Coffee and Xiaomi as the focal brands, this research explores the mechanisms and boundary conditions of brand alliance patterns on brand relationship quality through three experiments. The results show that, compared to visual co-branding, consumers have a more innovative perception and stronger brand relationship quality in ingredient co-branding; the mediating role of brand experience varies with alliance patterns and product types. In ingredient co-branding, compared to visual co-branding, the mediating effects of affective experience, behavioral experience, and cognitive experience are significant, while sensory experience and relational experience partially mediate the relationship; For shopping goods versus convenience goods, the mediating effect of relational experience is more pronounced; Perceived innovativeness and brand experience serve as chain mediators in the relationship between brand alliance patterns and brand relationship quality; the level of consumers’ lay rationalism will weaken the positive impact of perceived innovativeness on brand experience.

Classifying anthropomorphized brand roles into servant brands and partner brands, this study examines the mechanism and boundary conditions of awe towards nature on consumers’ preferences for anthropomorphized brand roles based on the cognitive load theory. Experimental results reveal that awe towards nature enhances consumers’ preference for servant brands (compared to partner brands). The need for accommodation mediates the above effect. Self-affirmation moderates the effect of awe towards nature on increasing the preference for servant brands: for consumers who have not undergone self-affirmation, awe towards nature enhances their preference for servant brands (compared to partner brands), while for consumers who have experienced self-affirmation, awe towards nature reduces their preference for servant brands (compared to partner brands) instead.

This study investigates a supplier’s channel encroachment strategy on a retail platform under asymmetric demand information. Within a two-echelon supply chain consisting of a supplier and a retail platform, we develop a signaling game model and examine three supplier strategies: no encroachment (using the platform only for distribution), committed encroachment (pre-committing to a consignment quantity before the platform places its order), and delayed encroachment (determining the consignment quantity after observing the platform’s order). The results show that when the platform’s commission rate is low, the supplier prefers encroachment. When commission rates are low and market fluctuations are small, delayed encroachment emerges as the optimal strategy. In other cases, committed encroachment is preferred. However, relying on the platform’s order quantity as a demand signal is not always beneficial. When fulfillment costs are high or demand variability is low, disregarding this signal yields greater advantage for the supplier.

By constructing a Stackelberg game model in two competing supply chains, this study investigates how the government subsidy policies (no subsidy, unit cost subsidy, and green technology investment subsidy) and consumer preference affect a new energy vehicles (NEVs) manufacturer’s eco-innovation level, profit, and social welfare. The results show that under a given subsidy policy, as the proportion of NEVs-oriented consumers increases or the proportion of oil-fueled vehicles consumers decreases, the NEVs manufacturer’s eco-innovation level increases. Furthermore, compared to the scenario without subsidy, the government subsidies increase the NEVs manufacturer’s eco-innovation level and profit. In the case of subsidies, when the proportion of NEVs consumers is high, the government should provide the unit cost subsidy, otherwise, it should provide the green technology investment subsidy.

Considering that ride-sourcing platforms pay taxi drivers the same rate as private car drivers or charge a commission on taxi orders to open the platform, this study examines the opening strategy selection of ride-sourcing platforms. By analyzing the four cases of non-opening, opening ride-sourcing order, opening taxi order, and mixed opening, the profit models for ride-sourcing platforms are constructed by using operational optimization methods, respectively. The optimal decisions for all scenarios are obtained by maximizing platform profits. The results show that all four strategies may be optimal, and the total number of potential private ride-sourcing drivers in the market and the coverage of taxi market play a key role in the selection of platform opening strategies. Platform opening does not always increase the overall profits of taxis and social welfare. Under the strategy of opening taxi order, there is a specific value of the number of taxis that maximizes the total profits of taxis and social welfare.

This paper uses the difference-in-differences method to analyze the impact of the merger of national and local taxes on the non-local investment of enterprises. The study found that the consolidation of national and local taxes can reduce the number of non-local subsidiaries. The mechanism analysis shows that regional tax administration and space for profit transfer are the related mechanisms. Further analysis shows that the merger of national and local taxes can effectively differentiate different types of enterprises, which increases the actual tax burden of non-local investment enterprises in the tax avoidance category, but has no significant impact on the tax burden of real non-local investment enterprises. The impact of the merger of national and local taxes is obviously heterogeneous, and its governance effect is more significant in the strong government intervention, poor legal environment and private enterprises in the regions where the non-local subsidiaries are located.

Based on the resource-based view and social network theory, this paper constructs an analytical framework that integrates “resource support-resource allocation” and “innovation peer effect-competitive collusion effect” to investigate the impact of cross-owners on corporate R&D investment. Using a sample of A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2022, the findings reveal that the relationship between cross-owners and corporate R&D investment is inverted U-shaped. The moderation analysis indicates that redundant resources and market power weaken the inverted U-shaped relationship between cross-owners and corporate R&D investment, whereas digital transformation and operational efficiency strengthen this relationship. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the inverted U-shaped relationship between cross-owners and corporate R&D investment is more pronounced in private enterprises and firms located in regions with higher levels of marketization, compared to state-owned enterprises and firms in regions with lower marketization levels.