Research on Dynamic Configurational Effects of Doing Business Ecosystems Driving Digital-Green Synergistic Innovation

Abstract

Abstract: Digital-green synergistic innovation is a core element in the development of new quality productive forces. How to optimize the doing business ecosystems to drive the development of digital-green synergistic innovation is an urgent issue. This paper clarifies the concept and evaluation approach of digital-green synergistic innovation, and integrates institutional configuration theory with the ecological system coupling perspective. Using a sample of 724 listed high-tech companies from 2011 to 2021, this paper employs a mixed-method approach to explore the diverse doing business ecological configuration paths, evolution patterns, and impact effects that drive high-level digital-green synergistic innovation. The findings are as follows: (1) Individual doing business ecological factors do not constitute a necessary condition for the development of digital-green synergistic innovation. (2) Four configuration paths driving digital-green synergistic innovation are identified: government-empowered, socially-led non-coupling (H1), socially-led non-coupling (H2), government-social dual-led non-coupling (H3), and government-market-social collaborative loose coupling (H4), with human resources and innovation environment playing a relatively universal role. (3) From a temporal perspective, configurations H1, H3, and H4 exhibit a clear parallel downward fluctuation trend. Geographically, some high-tech companies achieve high-level digital-green synergistic innovation development through non-unique paths. (4) The driving effects of high-level configurations are significant, particularly in private companies and high-tech companies run by a young management team. The results of this study provide important theoretical foundations and practical references for revealing the doing business ecological paths that drive high-level digital-green synergistic innovation.

Key words: digital-green synergistic innovation, doing business ecosystems, institutional configuration, ecological system coupling perspective, mixed-method approach

Tian Qingfeng, Shen Weikang, Li Yao. Research on Dynamic Configurational Effects of Doing Business Ecosystems Driving Digital-Green Synergistic Innovation[J]. Management Review, 2025, 37(11): 232-244.

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