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Fostering green-tech innovation through digitalization: the role of legitimacy and CEO characteristics. An empirical study of China’s listed companies

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  • Sumin Hu
  • Yunsi Chen
  • Haoqiang Wu
  • Daming Sun

Abstract

To explore to what extent and how corporate digitalization navigates green-tech innovation, using the 2011-2021 annual report data for China’s listed companies, the two-way Fixed Effect Model, Mediation Model, and Moderation Model have been applied to test the specific role of digitalization in fostering corporate green-tech innovation. Empirical results suggest that: (a) corporate green-tech innovation increases with the development of digitalization, and green-related organizational legitimacy mediates this process; (b) CEO characteristics significantly and positively moderate the relationship between digitalization and green-tech innovation, while CEO overconfidence negatively moderates the relationship between conformity legitimacy and green-tech innovation; (c) the moderating role of CEO characteristics changes with the differentiation of industry and property rights. Our empirical evidence shows that digitalization acts as an enabler of corporate green-tech innovation, and also highlights the efficacy of CEOs in this process.

Suggested Citation

  • Sumin Hu & Yunsi Chen & Haoqiang Wu & Daming Sun, 2025. "Fostering green-tech innovation through digitalization: the role of legitimacy and CEO characteristics. An empirical study of China’s listed companies," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 68(9), pages 2165-2193, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jenpmg:v:68:y:2025:i:9:p:2165-2193
    DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2024.2311817
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