IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v86y2025ipas1544612325016563.html

When do the competitive effects of artificial intelligence investment emerge?

Author

Listed:
  • Xiao, Liang
  • Zhang, Youtian

Abstract

Utilizing panel data from 3879 A-share manufacturing listed companies spanning 2014 to 2023 and employing a two-way fixed effects model, this study investigates the impact of AI investment on enterprise market competitiveness and the moderating role of patient capital. The findings reveal a significant U-shaped relationship between AI investment and enterprise market competitiveness, with its marginal effect transitioning from negative to positive as investment levels increase. Patient capital with long-term orientation exhibits a negative moderating role, weakening the competitiveness-enhancing effects of AI investment in the short term.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiao, Liang & Zhang, Youtian, 2025. "When do the competitive effects of artificial intelligence investment emerge?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:86:y:2025:i:pa:s1544612325016563
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.108402
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325016563
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.108402?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. Yu, Zhen & Xiao, Yao & Li, Jinpo, 2021. "Firm-level perception of uncertainty and innovation activity: Textual evidence from China's A-share market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Liu, Ji & Xu, Zheng & Zhang, Jing & Zhou, Kun, 2025. "Can market competition enhance the utilization of data elements? Analysis from the dual perspectives of managerial incentives and entrepreneurial orientation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Chin, Tachia & Li, Zhisheng & Huang, Leping & Li, Xinyu, 2025. "How artificial intelligence promotes new quality productive forces of firms: A dynamic capability view," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    4. Rhoades, Stephen A., 1985. "Market share as a source of market power: Implications and some evidence," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 343-363, December.
    5. Trajtenberg, Manuel, 2018. "AI as the next GPT: a Political-Economy Perspective," CEPR Discussion Papers 12721, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    6. Lee, In & Shin, Yong Jae, 2020. "Machine learning for enterprises: Applications, algorithm selection, and challenges," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 157-170.
    7. Wang, Haibo, 2024. "Decoding herding dynamics in the generative AI investment amid key technological advancements: A timeline perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    8. Xiao Yu & Yangfeng Dai & Qian Xu & Qilin Ye, 2024. "Knowledge Collaboration and Benefits of Standard Implementation of Enterprise in Technology Standard Alliance," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 8534-8562, June.
    9. Dong, Zhenlin & Xin, Zijun & Liu, Dewen & Yu, Fangkun, 2024. "The impact of artificial intelligence application on company environmental investment in Chinese manufacturing companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    10. Jie Zhen & Cejun Cao & Hanguang Qiu & Zongxiao Xie, 2021. "Impact of organizational inertia on organizational agility: the role of IT ambidexterity," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 53-65, March.
    11. Wang, Lu & Luo, Gong-li & Sari, Arif & Shao, Xue-Feng, 2020. "What nurtures fourth industrial revolution? An investigation of economic and social determinants of technological innovation in advanced economies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    12. Shen, Ling & Jin, Yifei & Xue, Qinyuan, 2025. "Artificial intelligence and corporate investment efficiency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PD).
    13. Brandt, Loren & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes & Zhang, Yifan, 2012. "Creative accounting or creative destruction? Firm-level productivity growth in Chinese manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 339-351.
    14. Richard F. J. Haans & Constant Pieters & Zi-Lin He, 2016. "Thinking about U: Theorizing and testing U- and inverted U-shaped relationships in strategy research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1177-1195, July.
    15. Gao, Yang & Liu, Siqiang & Yang, Lu, 2025. "Artificial intelligence and innovation capability: A dynamic capabilities perspective," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    16. Li, Qianru & Zhang, Yuhao & Um, Geumchul, 2025. "Intertwining artificial intelligence and efficiency: An empirical analysis of AI focus and operational efficacy in Chinese listed firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(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. Du, Longzheng & Lin, Weifen, 2022. "Does the application of industrial robots overcome the Solow paradox? Evidence from China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Huang, Ruting & Yao, Xin, 2024. "City size and energy efficiency of Chinese manufacturing firms: An empirical study from a city characteristic perspective," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Li, Zhe & Yang, Huiyu & Zhang, Tingting, 2025. "Impact of enterprise artificial intelligence development on human capital structure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Ke-Liang Wang & Ting-Ting Sun & Ru-Yu Xu, 2023. "The impact of artificial intelligence on total factor productivity: empirical evidence from China’s manufacturing enterprises," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 1113-1146, April.
    5. Dosi, Giovanni & Virgillito, Maria Enrica & Yu, Xiaodan, 2020. "The wage-productivity nexus in the world factory economy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    6. Dai, Xiaoyong & Chapman, Gary, 2022. "R&D tax incentives and innovation: Examining the role of programme design in China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    7. ZHANG,Hongyong & CHENG,Wenyin & LIANG,David Tao & Meng,Bo, 2024. "Industrial Subsidies along Domestic Value Chains and their Impacts on China’s Exports," IDE Discussion Papers 937, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    8. Wolfgang Drobetz & Lars Hornuf & Paul P. Momtaz & Niclas Schermann, 2025. "Token-Based Crowdfunding: Investor Choice and the Optimal Timing of Initial Coin Offerings," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 49(1), pages 232-282, January.
    9. Tao Chen & Shuwen Pi & Qing Sophie Wang, 2025. "Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Investment Efficiency: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Working Papers in Economics 25/05, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    10. Yingyu Yao & Haiying Pan, 2025. "The Effect of Intelligent Development on Green Economy Efficiency: An Analysis Based on China’s Province-Level Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-15, January.
    11. Laiqun Jin & Xiuyan Liu & Sam Hak Kan Tang, 2021. "High-Technology Zones, Misallocation of Resources among Cities and Aggregate Productivity: Evidence from China," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 21-11, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    12. Duan, Yunlong & Liu, Shuling & Cheng, Hao & Chin, Tachia & Luo, Xuan, 2021. "The moderating effect of absorptive capacity on transnational knowledge spillover and the innovation quality of high-tech industries in host countries: Evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    13. KonShik Kim, 2023. "The impact of job quality on organizational commitment and job satisfaction: The moderating role of socioeconomic status," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(3), pages 773-797, August.
    14. Sato, Hitoshi & Zhu, Lianming, 2014. "Tariff reductions and labor demand elasticities : evidence from Chinese firm-level data," IDE Discussion Papers 463, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    15. Yi Wen, 2011. "Making sense of China’s astronomical foreign reserves," Working Papers 2011-018, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    16. Guo, Shu & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2023. "Green credit policy and total factor productivity: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    17. Fan, Jianyong & Liu, Yu & Zhang, Qi & Zhao, Peng, 2022. "Does government debt impede firm innovation? Evidence from the rise of LGFVs in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    18. Li, Linjie & Liu, Xiaming & Yuan, Dong & Yu, Miaojie, 2017. "Does outward FDI generate higher productivity for emerging economy MNEs? – Micro-level evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 839-854.
    19. Christine M. Chan & Jialin Du, 2021. "The dynamic process of pro-market reforms and foreign affiliate performance: When to seek local, subnational, or global help?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1854-1870, December.
    20. Lin, Tse-Chun & Liu, Jinyu & Ni, Xiaoran, 2022. "Foreign bank entry deregulation and stock market stability: Evidence from staggered regulatory changes," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 185-207.

    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:86:y:2025:i:pa:s1544612325016563. 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.