| Digital transformation has completely overturned the traditional resource allocation system and value creation logic.However,the digital transformation of Chinese enterprises has hit a bottleneck at present,becoming ineffectual and even thrown into a governance dilemma.Moreover,the value creation logic during the transition period of the innovation ecosystem isn’t crystal clear.Especially for the hub firm playing a mainstay role in the innovation ecosystem,how to unveil the realization and evolution mechanism between digital transformation and enterprises’ innovation performance has gradually become a hot spot in the field of digitalization strategic management.In addition,it lacks the structural attributes and functional mechanisms of the enterprises’ innovation ecosystem in the digital transformation,and the establishment of a governance system for the most important carrier of value creation needs to be further studied.Given that few studies have been based on strategic aspects and that there have been few empirical studies on the mechanisms of digital transformation and its effects on innovation performance until now.Overall,from the perspective of ecosystem-as-structure theory as well as based on the framework of "strategy-structure-performance ",this thesis combines the theory of digital transformation strategy,modular architecture,and innovation ecosystem and discusses how to transform and improve the hub firm’s innovation performance through the structure of the innovation ecosystem,thus refining and revealing the effect mechanism between digital transformation and the hub firm’s innovation performance through theoretical analysis,empirical research,and dynamic simulation.Firstly,taking the continuous digital transformation of Haier Group as the longitudinal case,this thesis discusses three important characteristics of the structure of the hub firm’s innovation ecosystem and the influence mechanism of digital transformation on the hub firm’s innovation performance.An initial conceptual model is accordingly constructed.Secondly,this thesis proposes to solve the core problem of how digital transformation can successfully improve the hub firm’s innovation performance.Drawing on the structure of the hub firm’s innovation ecosystem,it constructs the chain mediation model and empirically investigates the mediating roles of modular innovation architecture,the embeddability of network governance,and an open interactive interface between digital transformation and the hub firm’s innovation performance.Furthermore,this study uses a structural equation model for empirical testing based on 191 samples from hub enterprises in the innovation ecosystem and thereby tries to propose the dynamic evolution paths between technology architecture and governance mechanisms from the perspective of the dynamic evolution of modular architecture within and across firm boundaries.Finally,based on system dynamics,this thesis establishes a system simulation model of the influence of digital transformation on the hub firm’s innovation performance and explores value creation mechanisms through the dynamic synergy between digital resources and innovation ecosystem stakeholders.It therefore clarifies the mechanism of innovation performance improvement and the evolution trend in the continuous digital transformation process from the perspective of the structure of the innovation ecosystem.The research results demonstrate that:(1)The digital transformation of traditional enterprises may not be technical but strategic;therefore,it is urgent to make a strategic plan and promote the transformation through the enabling of user needs,the support of agile organizational innovation,and the empowerment of digital technology.(2)Reshaping the structure of the innovation ecosystem under the digital transformation,namely openness of the interactive interface,modularization of the innovation architecture,and embeddedness of network governance,which are the main routes for promoting the value creation of the innovation ecosystem.The structure of the innovation ecosystem can contribute to sharing cross-level resources among complementary innovators and quickly achieving product and process innovation,forming digital upgrade paths of "technology integration," "resource orchestration," and "ecological empowerment",Digital transformation is finally realized through enterprises’ improved innovation performance empowered by digitalization.(3)Digital transformation exerts a significantly positive influence on the hub firm’s innovation performance and indirectly influences it through modular innovation architecture and the embeddability of network governance,respectively.Given that,this study examines the dual ascension paths of combining intra-and inter-firm architecture with governance mechanisms.Therefore,the research results show that digital transformation can effectively promote the optimization,innovation,and reconstruction of value creation systems.(4)The dynamical system of digital transformation positively influencing the hub firm’s innovation performance can be divided into two sub-systems: the digital incremental innovation system and the digital enabling innovation system.The simulation of system dynamics flow diagram shows that the value creation of digital transformation almost shows a linear growth trend,while the degree of modular architecture innovation,the degree of embedded network governance,and the hub firm’s innovation performance show a trend of slowdown first and then fast,which also indicates that digital transformation has a dynamic influence on the hub firm’s innovation performance.Furthermore,the digital transformation of the hub firm has driven the feedback mechanism of users,enterprises(hub enterprises and complementary enterprises,etc.),and the government.While the efficiency of enterprises’ digital innovation and the distribution of innovation performance positively influence the hub firm’s innovation performance under digital transformation,Overall,the possible research contributions of this thesis include three aspects:(1)The thesis puts forward a novel idea to promote the realization of enterprises’ digital transformation and the improvement of innovation performance from the perspective of the structure of the innovation ecosystem.Especially creatively,by incorporating innovation ecosystem into the considerations of digital transformation strategies,the thesis emphasizes that digital transformation is underpinned by systems and centered on modular architecture innovation to influence digital transformation on the interdependent structure of the innovation ecosystem,multiple interaction relations and governance mechanisms among different stakeholders,as well as puts forward that the innovation ecosystem based on modular architecture in digital transformation is a new system for creating,delivering and capturing value,which is an important theoretical expansion and practical application in the field of organizational innovation management.So as to enrich new paradigms of analyzing the reconstruction of innovation’s logical framework and interaction between different stakeholders through digital transformation.(2)Based on the digital enabling scenario of the innovation ecosystem,the black-box realization and influence mechanism of enterprises’ digital transformation on the hub firm’s innovation performance are revealed at the micro level.Unlike the current study,which focuses on the causes and consequences of digital transformation at macro and meso levels,the thesis constructs a dynamic analysis framework of "situation-structure-mechanism",The realization and evolution mechanisms of digital transformation are essentially deconstructed as a whole by analyzing the complex structure and evolution process of digital transformation influencing the hub firm’s innovation performance,and the underlying logic of the integration between new and old business models as well as improvement paths for innovation performance are identified.The conclusion makes a preliminary attempt to further summarize the general management rules of the formation and effect of digital transformation and provides theoretical guidance and practical inspiration for Chinese enterprises to carry out digital transformation and improve innovation performance,so as to generate new concepts by making the theoretical research closer to actualities.(3)This finding breaks the limitations of the extant literature,which only focuses on single or static impact mechanisms of digital innovation.In view of the fact that quantitative and qualitative research on digital transformation based on enterprise data and practical insight is still in its infancy,this study uses system dynamics modeling and simulation methods to reveal the process mechanism of the hub firm’s innovation performance improvement generated by digital transformation and discusses the transformation motivation,the action of system structure,and the evolution mechanism of innovation performance improvement in the whole process from internal singlepoint breakthrough to external ecological construction.Specifically,this study has important theoretical and practical significance for helping Chinese enterprises carry out digital transformation firmly and build and govern an innovation ecosystem. |
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