IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i23p10545-d1534513.html

Research on the Driving Paths and Evolution of Digital Innovation in Intelligent Connected Vehicle Enterprises—A Configurational Analysis Based on Dynamic fsQCA

Author

Listed:
  • Guiju Zhu

    (School of Management, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China)

  • Yuxing Peng

    (School of Management, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China)

  • Changfa Shi

    (School of Intelligent Engineering and Intelligent Manufacturing, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China)

  • Sha Liu

    (School of International Business, Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha 410151, China)

  • Haiyun Liu

    (School of Management, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China)

Abstract

Intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) are increasingly emerging as a pivotal driving force for promoting sustainable development in global transportation due to their outstanding performance in mitigating carbon emissions, alleviating traffic congestion, and enhancing travel efficiency. Enhancing the digital innovation capability of ICV enterprises is an imperative path to explore high-quality industry development and effectively respond to the latest technological revolution and industrial transformation. Based on the panel data from 20 listed companies in the ICV industry in China from 2019 to 2022, this study utilizes a fixed-base index and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method within the framework of technology–organization–environment (TOE) theory to investigate the influencing factors, driving paths, and temporal trends of digital innovation in ICV enterprises in China. The results show the following: (1) No single factor can constitute a sufficient condition for achieving a high level of digital innovation. (2) The level of digital innovation of ICV enterprises in China showed a fluctuating growth trend during 2019–2022. Digital infrastructure and market competition are the two critical factors for digital innovation, while technology and organizational conditions have become bottlenecks. (3) There are five driving paths of digital innovation in ICV enterprises in China, including the Entrepreneurial Navigation + Technology Accumulation Driving Path, R&D Advantage + Environment Driving Path, Application Oriented + Environment Driving Path, Knowledge Absorption Driving Path, and Total Factor Driving Path. (4) From 2019 to 2022, the digital innovation of ICV enterprises in China underwent two stages of evolution, namely “Knowledge Absorption + Government Promotion” to “Technology Embedded + Market Driven”. (5) A substitutive relationship exists between digital resource acquisition capabilities and digital infrastructure, which promotes digital innovation through different paths leading to the same goal. The findings of this study have important theoretical and practical implications for ICV enterprises in making scientific and reasonable digital innovation decisions, thereby fostering the sustainable development of the automotive industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Guiju Zhu & Yuxing Peng & Changfa Shi & Sha Liu & Haiyun Liu, 2024. "Research on the Driving Paths and Evolution of Digital Innovation in Intelligent Connected Vehicle Enterprises—A Configurational Analysis Based on Dynamic fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:23:p:10545-:d:1534513
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10545/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10545/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. He, Kai & Bouncken, Ricarda B. & Kiani, Ataullah & Kraus, Sascha, 2024. "The role of strategic orientations for digital innovation: When entrepreneurship meets sustainability," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    2. Haiyun Liu & Haowen Lei & Wenjin Xiao & Shijia Zhao, 2024. "Can the Digital Economy Achieve Low-Carbon Development? An Analysis Based on the Dual Perspectives of Reducing Emissions and Increasing Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Richard J. Boland & Kalle Lyytinen & Youngjin Yoo, 2007. "Wakes of Innovation in Project Networks: The Case of Digital 3-D Representations in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(4), pages 631-647, August.
    4. Yang, Yang & Jiang, Yan, 2023. "Buyer-supplier CSR alignment and firm performance: A contingency theory perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    5. Qing Li & Xiu-e Zhang & Wenxin Zhang, 2023. "Organizational Resilience and Configurational Conditions From the Perspective of Emergency: A fsQCA Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, February.
    6. Helfat, Constance E. & Raubitschek, Ruth S., 2018. "Dynamic and integrative capabilities for profiting from innovation in digital platform-based ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8), pages 1391-1399.
    7. Gary S. Hansen & Charles W. L. Hill, 1991. "Are institutional investors myopic? A time‐series study of four technology‐driven industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Qian Li & Hui Gao, 2023. "How External Knowledge Acquisition Contribute to Innovation Performance: A Chain Mediation Model," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    9. Sascha Kraus & Domingo Ribeiro-Soriano & Miriam Schüssler, 2018. "Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in entrepreneurship and innovation research – the rise of a method," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 15-33, March.
    10. António Porfírio, José & Augusto Felício, José & Carrilho, Tiago, 2024. "Factors affecting digital transformation in banking," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    11. Wang, Xincheng & Li, Yuan & Tian, Longwei & Hou, Ye, 2023. "Government digital initiatives and firm digital innovation: Evidence from China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    12. Koliousis, Ioannis & Al-Surmi, Abdulrahman & Bashiri, Mahdi, 2024. "Artificial intelligence and policy making; can small municipalities enable digital transformation?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    13. Qi Song & Xiaohong Chen & Hao Gu, 2023. "How Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Factors Drive Enterprise Digital Innovation: Analysis Based on the Dynamic FsQCA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    14. Barbara Vis & Jan Dul, 2018. "Analyzing Relationships of Necessity Not Just in Kind But Also in Degree," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 47(4), pages 872-899, November.
    15. Ming Zhang & Ruoran Cheng & Jiabao Fei & Ribesh Khanal, 2024. "Enhancing Digital Innovation Ecosystem Resilience through the Interplay of Organizational, Technological, and Environmental Factors: A Study of 31 Provinces in China Using NCA and fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-22, February.
    16. Ragin, Charles C., 2006. "Set Relations in Social Research: Evaluating Their Consistency and Coverage," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 291-310, July.
    17. Ullah, Fahim & Qayyum, Siddra & Thaheem, Muhammad Jamaluddin & Al-Turjman, Fadi & Sepasgozar, Samad M.E., 2021. "Risk management in sustainable smart cities governance: A TOE framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    18. Kolloch, Michael & Dellermann, Dominik, 2018. "Digital innovation in the energy industry: The impact of controversies on the evolution of innovation ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 254-264.
    19. Kumar, Satish & Sahoo, Saumyaranjan & Lim, Weng Marc & Kraus, Sascha & Bamel, Umesh, 2022. "Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in business and management research: A contemporary overview," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jinyan Wen & Donghua Tan & Honglue Wang & Yanxiao Gao, 2025. "How Do Alliance Networks Affect Firms’ Capability of Influencing Technological Standardization? Configuration Analysis Based on the TOE Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-21, October.

    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. Wu, Chih-Wen & Botella-Carrubi, Dolores & Blanco-González-Tejero, Cristina, 2024. "The empirical study of digital marketing strategy and performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    2. Marie Romuald Pouka Pouka & Viviane Ondoua Biwolé, 2024. "Does causal analysis improve the understanding of entrepreneurial support for SME performance?," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Jan Dul & Sven Hauff & Ricarda B. Bouncken, 2023. "Correction: Necessary condition analysis (NCA): review of research topics and guidelines for good practice," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1535-1537, May.
    4. Cheng, Cong & Wang, Limin, 2022. "How companies configure digital innovation attributes for business model innovation? A configurational view," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    5. Pang, Qinghua & Zheng, Hongbin & Zhang, Lina & Chiu, Yung-ho, 2025. "How does the regional digital innovation ecosystem lead to high energy efficiency? An exploratory study based on fsQCA," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    6. Xue, Biao & Lin, Yan & Ren, Fangxiao & Li, Runfo, 2024. "Business environment ecosystem and manufacturing upgrading: A configurational approach," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1225-1237.
    7. Ming Zhang & Ruoran Cheng & Jiabao Fei & Ribesh Khanal, 2024. "Enhancing Digital Innovation Ecosystem Resilience through the Interplay of Organizational, Technological, and Environmental Factors: A Study of 31 Provinces in China Using NCA and fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Shuting Chen & Dengke Yu, 2024. "What Drives Business Model Innovation? Exploring the Role of Knowledge Management Capability in Chinese Top-Ranking Innovative Enterprises," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 6390-6424, June.
    9. Rafael Palacios Bustamante & Xochitl Margarita Cruz Pérez & María Pilar Escott-Mota, 2024. "Radical Change and Dominant Character of Digital Transformation in Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship in Less Innovative Economies," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(4), pages 19490-19516, December.
    10. Beynon, Malcolm & Pickernell, David & Battisti, Martina & Jones, Paul, 2024. "A panel fsQCA investigation on European regional innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    11. Qi Song & Xiaohong Chen & Hao Gu, 2023. "How Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Factors Drive Enterprise Digital Innovation: Analysis Based on the Dynamic FsQCA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    12. Zahra, Shaker A. & Liu, Wan & Si, Steven, 2023. "How digital technology promotes entrepreneurship in ecosystems," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    13. Haddoud, Mohamed Yacine & Onjewu, Adah-Kole Emmanuel & Al-Azab, Mahmoud Ramadan & Elbaz, Ahmed Mohamed, 2022. "The psychological drivers of entrepreneurial resilience in the tourism sector," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 702-712.
    14. Huiping, Zhou & Ao, Zan, 2025. "How does digital platform capability affect digital innovation? Evidence from manufacturing SMEs in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    15. Giuseppe Calignano & Elisabeth Winsents, 2024. "Relations between academic reputation and innovation networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(2), pages 889-908, February.
    16. Kaisu Puumalainen & Helena Sjögrén & Juha Soininen & Pasi Syrjä & Sascha Kraus, 2023. "Crisis response strategies and entrepreneurial orientation of SMEs: A configurational analysis on performance impacts," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1527-1559, December.
    17. Klincewicz, Krzysztof & Esmaeil Zaei, Mansour, 2025. "The effects of investments in research infrastructures of higher education institutes: Evidence from Poland and Czechia," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(10).
    18. René Vásquez-Ordóñez, Luis & Lassala, Carlos & Ulrich, Klaus & Ribeiro-Navarrete, Samuel, 2023. "Efficiency factors in the financing of renewable energy projects through crowdlending," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    19. Merguei, Nitzan, 2022. "Venturing out: Designing effective pre-acceleration programs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    20. Gerke, Anna & Luzzini, Davide & Mena, Carlos, 2021. "Innovation configurations in sport clusters: The role of interorganizational citizenship and social capital," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 409-419.

    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:16:y:2024:i:23:p:10545-:d:1534513. 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.