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Technological imprints of TMTs, configuration of technological resources and Chinese enterprise digital transformation

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  • Ma, Meiting
  • Wu, Xiaojie
  • Wang, Xiuqiong

Abstract

The technological imprint of the top management team (TMT) plays a critical role in firms' digital transformation. However, research on why and how educational and positional technological imprints affect digital transformation differently is lacking. Taking 2303 Chinese listed A-share enterprises from 2011 to 2022 as a sample and combining imprint theory with upper echelons theory, we investigate the mediating effect of the size and quality of the technological resource configuration on the relationship between TMTs' technological imprints and firms’ digital transformation. The results show that when executives have a technological imprint, they prefer a high level of digital transformation. Executives with educational technological imprints tend to enhance the quality of the technological resource configuration to pursue advanced digital transformation, whereas those with positional technological imprints focus on expanding the size of such a configuration. This finding has important theoretical and practical significance for traditional enterprises attending to the role of TMTs in digital transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma, Meiting & Wu, Xiaojie & Wang, Xiuqiong, 2026. "Technological imprints of TMTs, configuration of technological resources and Chinese enterprise digital transformation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:85:y:2026:i:c:s0160791x25004002
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103210
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