IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p2158-d1045240.html

Construction of Frugal Innovation Path in the Context of Digital Transformation: A Study Based on NCA and QCA

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoyu Qu

    (School of Management, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China)

  • Xutian Qin

    (School of Management, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China)

  • Xiaopeng Wang

    (School of Management, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China)

Abstract

With the continuous advancement of digital globalization, enterprises need to seek development opportunities in the context of diversification and resource shortage. Frugal innovation provides a new way for enterprises to realize social value and create a win-win situation. Based on 113 enterprises’ survey data, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) are used to explore the multiple concurrency factors and causality mechanisms of digital transformation, organizational resilience, learning from failure and design thinking for frugal innovation. It is found that: (1) Digital transformation, organizational resilience, internal learning from failure, external learning from failure and design thinking cannot effectively stimulate frugal innovation alone, and linkage matching of multiple antecedents is needed to promote frugal innovation. (2) There are three paths to producing high frugal innovation, namely, external learning from failure and design thinking driving under digital transformation learning from failure driving under design thinking guidance, organizational resilience driving under digital transformation. (3) There are two paths to produce non-high frugal innovation, which are asymmetrical with high frugal innovation path. Our results are helpful for the study of digital transformation and frugal innovation at the enterprise level. In addition, our research results also provide practical solutions and a theoretical basis for enterprises to carry out frugal innovation activities under the new economic normal.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoyu Qu & Xutian Qin & Xiaopeng Wang, 2023. "Construction of Frugal Innovation Path in the Context of Digital Transformation: A Study Based on NCA and QCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2158-:d:1045240
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/2158/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/2158/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sofia Pagliarin & Anna M. Hersperger & Benoît Rihoux, 2020. "Implementation pathways of large-scale urban development projects (lsUDPs) in Western Europe: a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(6), pages 1242-1263, June.
    2. Ulrich Lichtenthaler, 2020. "Building Blocks of Successful Digital Transformation: Complementing Technology and Market Issues," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(01), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Shannon W. Anderson & Anne M. Lillis, 2011. "Corporate Frugality: Theory, Measurement and Practice," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1349-1387, December.
    4. Abdelmohsen A. Nassani & Crenguta Sinisi & Loredana Paunescu & Zahid Yousaf & Mohamed Haffar & Ahmad Kabbani, 2022. "Nexus of Innovation Network, Digital Innovation and Frugal Innovation towards Innovation Performance: Investigation of Energy Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-11, April.
    5. Ekom Etim Akpan & Eluka Johnny & Waribugo Sylva, 2022. "Dynamic Capabilities and Organizational Resilience of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria," Vision, , vol. 26(1), pages 48-64, March.
    6. Stephanie Duchek, 2020. "Organizational resilience: a capability-based conceptualization," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 13(1), pages 215-246, April.
    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. Li, Junjun & Wu, Tong & Hu, Boqiang & Pan, Dongliang & Zhou, Yaqiong, 2025. "Artificial intelligence and corporate ESG performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    2. Kinda Saemaldaher & Okechukwu Lawrence Emeagwali, 2025. "The Role of Open Innovation in Enhancing Organizational Resilience and Sustainability Performance Through Organizational Adaptability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-22, June.
    3. Martina Neri & Federico Niccolini & Francesco Virili, 2026. "Organizational cyber resilience: toward an integrative conceptual framework," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 76(1), pages 789-840, February.
    4. Gangaram Biswakarma & Baburam Bohora, 2025. "Dynamic capabilities and organizational performance: the mediating role of organizational resilience in IT sector," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Tapio Riepponen & Mikko Moilanen & Jaakko Simonen, 2023. "Themes of resilience in the economics literature: A topic modeling approach," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 326-356, April.
    6. Jurek, Kinga, 2023. "Wpływ Szoków Ekonomicznych i Środowiskowych na Polskie Gospodarstwa Rolne w Latach 2010-2019," Roczniki (Annals), Polish Association of Agricultural Economists and Agribusiness - Stowarzyszenie Ekonomistow Rolnictwa e Agrobiznesu (SERiA), vol. 2023(4).
    7. Becker, Marco & Daube, Carl Heinz & Peskes, Markus & Reinking, Ernst & Semenischev, Corinna, 2026. "Resilienz als Schlüsselkompetenz für zukunftsfähige Unternehmen im digitalen Zeitalter - Teil 4: Merkmale und Kernfaktoren resilienter Organisationen," EconStor Preprints 337303, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    8. Tang, Chaoli & Dong, Shuyun & Zhou, Rui, 2025. "The impact of digitalization on corporate resilience," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    9. Tine Buyl & Thomas Gehrig & Jonas Schreyögg & Andreas Wieland, 2022. "Resilience: A Critical Appraisal of the State of Research for Business and Society," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 453-463, December.
    10. Elena Casprini & Tommaso Pucci & Lorenzo Zanni, 2023. "From growth goals to proactive organizational resilience: first evidence in women-led and non-women-led Italian wineries," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1017-1036, April.
    11. Natalia Tsybuliak & Uliana Kolomiiets & Anastasiia Popova & Hanna Lopatina & Yuriy Petrushenko & Yana Suchikova, 2025. "Progressive intensification of burnout among academic staff during the war," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    12. M. Radic & P. Herrmann & P. Haberland & Carla R. Riese, 2022. "Development of a Business Model Resilience Framework for Managers and Strategic Decision-makers," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 575-601, December.
    13. Nay Chi Khin Khin Oo & Sirisuhk Rakthin, 2022. "Integrative Review of Absorptive Capacity’s Role in Fostering Organizational Resilience and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-27, October.
    14. Duan, Wenqi & Madasi, Joseph David & Khurshid, Adnan & Ma, Dan, 2022. "Industrial structure conditions economic resilience," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    15. Julia Eichholz & Nicole Hoffmann & Anja Schwering, 2024. "The role of risk management orientation and the planning function of budgeting in enhancing organizational resilience and its effect on competitive advantages during times of crises," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 17-58, March.
    16. Fernando Castelló-Sirvent & Marta Peris-Ortiz & Malar Llopis-Amorós & Pablo Pinazo-Dallenbach, 2024. "How does the COVID-19 economic crisis impact resilience? A configurational analysis of the spinoffs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1823-1848, September.
    17. Marina Fiedler & Thomas Hutzschenreuter & Martin Klarmann & Barbara E. Weißenberger, 2023. "Transformation: Challenges, Impact, and Consequences," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 271-279, September.
    18. Md. Rashed & Md. Kamal Uddin & Mohammad Fakhrul Islam & Md. Faisal-E-Alam & Hasanuzzaman Tushar & Md Emon Ahmed, 2025. "Building Resilient Organizations: The Role of Technological Capability, Innovation Leadership, and Sustainability," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 26(4), pages 963-995, December.
    19. Ranjith Appuhami & Faruk Bhuiyan & Christina Boedker, 2024. "Navigating frugality and creativity urgencies: the role of diagnostic use of budgets and goal clarity," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 235-264, June.
    20. Rodgers Kazungu Safari & Getrude Majalla Mwanyefa, 2024. "Working Capital Management in Times of Crisis in Kenya: Strategies for Resilience," East African Finance Journal, East African Finance Journal, vol. 3(2).

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2158-:d:1045240. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.