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How Can the Business Environment Promote Urban Innovation and High-Quality Development?—A Qualitative Comparative Analysis Based on the Perspective of Configuration

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  • Zongcheng Xie

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Xuanzhi Yang

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

Abstract

The high-quality development of urban innovation provides important support for implementing new development concepts, constructing new development patterns, and promoting high-quality development. Based on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theoretical analysis framework, this paper takes 19 first-tier cities and 30 second-tier cities as research samples, explores the multiple path combinations of the business environment on urban high-quality development from a configuration perspective, and uses the fsQCA method. The research results show that the following are true: (1) The innovation ecology is the sole necessary condition for the high-quality development of urban innovation development; (2) efficient financial services and comprehensive market size play a crucial role in enabling cities to achieve high-quality innovation development; and (3) there are three configurations driving high-quality urban innovation development, namely the “Balanced Synergy Pathway”, the “Organizational Synergy Pathway”, and the “Technological Synergy Pathway”. This study explores the impact of the coupling of the business environment on the high-quality development of urban innovation, reveals the diverse configuration relationships of the business environment in urban high-quality development, and has important theoretical and practical significance for the high-quality development policies of cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Zongcheng Xie & Xuanzhi Yang, 2025. "How Can the Business Environment Promote Urban Innovation and High-Quality Development?—A Qualitative Comparative Analysis Based on the Perspective of Configuration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:463-:d:1563316
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    References listed on IDEAS

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