IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v80y2025ics1544612325005616.html

Digital transformation, innovation and total factor productivity in manufacturing enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Tang, Youbiao
  • Sun, Jingwei
  • Liu, Xiaofeng
  • Hu, Yikai

Abstract

This study, grounded in an analysis of Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises during the period 2012–2023, demonstrates that digital transformation exerts a substantial influence on the total factor productivity of manufacturing enterprises. Digital transformation fosters TFP enhancement by promoting advancements in manufacturing innovation. The impact of digital transformation on TFP promotion is pronounced in both of the non-state-owned and state-owned enterprises. This study offers valuable insights for manufacturing enterprises seeking to enhance their TFP and achieve high-quality development.

Suggested Citation

  • Tang, Youbiao & Sun, Jingwei & Liu, Xiaofeng & Hu, Yikai, 2025. "Digital transformation, innovation and total factor productivity in manufacturing enterprises," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:80:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325005616
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107298
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325005616
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.107298?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fang, Xubing & Liu, Maotao, 2024. "How does the digital transformation drive digital technology innovation of enterprises? Evidence from enterprise's digital patents," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    2. Lu, Wenjing, 2025. "Can the precision poverty reduction policy stimulate enterprise total factor productivity?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Lu, Shan & Peng, Sihan & Shi, Jiaxin & Zhang, Ci & Feng, Yanchao, 2024. "How does digital transformation affect the total factor productivity of China's A-share listed enterprises in the mineral resource-based sector?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Li, Juan & Ma, Shaoqi & Qu, Yi & Wang, Jiamin, 2023. "The impact of artificial intelligence on firms’ energy and resource efficiency: Empirical evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Teng, Yuqiang & Du, Anna Min & Lin, Boqiang, 2024. "The mechanism of supply chain efficiency in enterprise digital transformation and total factor productivity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
    6. Wang, Di & He, Bin & Dong, Nier & Yang, Daocheng, 2025. "Differentiated digital transformation strategies in manufacturing: The impact of firm ownership on productivity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    7. Jiang, Qian & Zhang, Chaoshuai & Wei, Qianqing, 2025. "Digital technology adoption and enterprise investment efficiency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Daron Acemoglu & Pascual Restrepo, 2020. "Robots and Jobs: Evidence from US Labor Markets," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(6), pages 2188-2244.
    9. Lei, Wei & Tang, Kaitao & Shao, Jingfeng & Ran, Feng, 2024. "Digital transformation, supply chain finance, and enterprise innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    10. Tao Kong & RenJi Sun & Guanglin Sun & Youtao Song, 2022. "Effects of Digital Finance on Green Innovation considering Information Asymmetry: An Empirical Study Based on Chinese Listed Firms," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(15), pages 4399-4411, December.
    11. Xing, Manjiang & Gong, Chi & Moon, Gyu-Hyen & Ge, Xiaohong, 2025. "Digital economy, dual innovation capability and enterprise labor productivity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    12. Wang, Jianlong & Wang, Weilong & Wu, Haitao & Liu, Yong, 2023. "Exploring the effects of manufacturing servitization on enterprise energy conservation and emissions reduction moderated by digital transformation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    13. Sun, Guanglin & Fang, Jiming & Li, Ting & Ai, Yongfang, 2024. "Effects of climate policy uncertainty on green innovation in Chinese enterprises," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    14. Kraus, Sascha & Durst, Susanne & Ferreira, João J. & Veiga, Pedro & Kailer, Norbert & Weinmann, Alexandra, 2022. "Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    15. Cheng, Yiran & Zhou, Xiaorui & Li, Yongjian, 2023. "The effect of digital transformation on real economy enterprises’ total factor productivity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 488-501.
    16. Yan, Yucong & Lei, Yufei & Wang, Yingdong & Lv, Dexin & Lu, Fanyi & Yao, YuYue, 2025. "Digital transformation and customer enterprise innovation - From the perspective of supply chain spillover effects," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    17. Tingting, YANG & Botong, XU, 2025. "Green innovation in manufacturing enterprises and digital transformation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 571-578.
    18. Li, Ning & Yao, Qi & Tang, Hongjuan & Lu, Ying, 2025. "Is digitalization necessary? Configuration of supply chain capabilities for improving enterprise competitive performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    19. Yu, Xiaohong & Xu, Haiyan & Lou, Wengao & Xu, Xun & Shi, Victor, 2023. "Examining energy eco-efficiency in China's logistics industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sun, Guanglin & Yin, Ding & Kong, Tao & Yin, Lei, 2024. "The impact of the integration of the digital economy and the real economy on the risk of stock price collapse," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    2. Jiaju Yu & Ye Xu & Qian Li & Changqi Tao, 2026. "Digital transformation and entrepreneurial activity: driving employee wages in China," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-29, March.
    3. Zhang, Cheng & Fang, Jiming & Ge, Shilong & Sun, Guanglin, 2024. "Research on the impact of enterprise digital transformation on carbon emissions in the manufacturing industry," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 211-227.
    4. Xu, Chongchong & Du, Anna Min & Lin, Boqiang, 2025. "Robot adoption and corporate supply chain efficiency: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    5. Liu, Yunxin & Cao, Yuqiang & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen & Xu, Jiangang, 2024. "Automating efficiency: The impact of industrial robots on labor investment in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    6. Wang, Jianlong & Liu, Yong & Wang, Weilong & Wu, Haitao, 2024. "Does artificial intelligence improve enterprise carbon emission performance? Evidence from an intelligent transformation policy in China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    7. Qihang Li & Yituan Liu & Wenjie Li & Linman Zheng, 2025. "Will Industrial Robots Terminate Enterprise Innovation?—An Empirical Evidence from China’s Enterprise Robot Penetration," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(2), pages 10074-10103, June.
    8. Fu, Shuke & Ge, Yingchen & Hao, Yu & Peng, Jiachao & Tian, Jiali, 2024. "Energy supply chain efficiency in the digital era: Evidence from China's listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    9. Liu, Sihan, 2025. "Digital transformation–productivity nexus: Platform integration and enterprise performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Ge, Shilong & Luo, Xiaodan & Li, Yuangang & Zheng, Lanxing, 2024. "The impact of green credit policy on total factor productivity of enterprises," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    11. Pan, Junyu & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Zhao, Xin & Liu, Xiaoqian, 2024. "Unlocking the impact of digital technology progress and entry dynamics on firm's total factor productivity in Chinese industries," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    12. Qiao, Xiaole & He, Yang & Du, Qiang, 2025. "How does the urban digital economy drive labor allocation in China?—A perspective of factor mobility between digital and non-digital enterprises," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1159-1175.
    13. Zhao, Shuang & Zhang, Liqun & Peng, Lin & Zhou, Haiyan & Hu, Feng, 2024. "Enterprise pollution reduction through digital transformation? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    14. Liu, Dongxia & Chen, Liming, 2025. "Supply chain innovation support policies, financing constraints, and corporate digital transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 108(PA).
    15. Yin, Lei & Sun, Guanglin & Kong, Tao, 2025. "Regional big data development and corporate financial fraud," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Wu, Xinmei & Wu, Xinhong & Shang, Duo & Fan, Libo, 2025. "Digital transformation and firm business diversification: An inverse U-shaped relationship," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 874-892.
    17. Zeng, Ming & Zhang, Weike, 2024. "Green finance: The catalyst for artificial intelligence and energy efficiency in Chinese urban sustainable development," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    18. FU, Yunyun & SHEN, Yongchang & SONG, Malin & WANG, Weiyu, 2024. "Does artificial intelligence reduce corporate energy consumption? New evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 548-561.
    19. Yingjie Xu & Bingchao Zheng & Baojie Guo, 2025. "How Do Industrial Robots Affect the Total Factor Productivity in Manufacturing Enterprises?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(4), pages 14057-14093, October.
    20. Li, Zhe & Yang, Huiyu & Zhang, Tingting, 2025. "Impact of enterprise artificial intelligence development on human capital structure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:80:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325005616. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.