| Driven by technologies such as big data,the Internet of Things,and cloud computing,the rise of the fourth industrial revolution has made digitization and intelligence become the current main theme.But at the same time,it has also caused industry changes in which the cost of production factors has increased and the influence has declined.To meet the needs of the times and shape new advantages of industrial development,digital transformation of traditional manufacturing enterprises has become the only correct choice.However,due to the realistic challenges of traditional manufacturing enterprises in the process of transformation,such as "unwilling to transformation","unable to transformation" and "afraid to transformation",the digital level of traditional manufacturing industry remains low.In theory,although digital transformation has attracted extensive attention from scholars,relevant researches on "what factors can promote digital transformation and how to improve the digital transformation performance" for traditional manufacturing enterprises are still weak,and new theoretical exploration is urgently needed.The digital transformation of traditional manufacturing enterprises is a long-term iterative,innovative and adventurous process,and must overcome the conflict between old and new concepts,and the obstacles such as digitalization investment can not be effective in a short time.For such companies,any aggressive,ill-conceived digital move can frustrate or even derail transformation plans.According to the theory of strategic management,making scientific and reasonable digital strategic planning is the key for enterprises to win in complex environment.Therefore,a clear and explicit digital orientation is conducive to the digital transformation.It is necessary to deeply analyze the influence mechanism of digital orientation on digital transformation performance in traditional manufacturing enterprises.However,with the rapid change of digital technology,enterprises not only need to have a clear digital orientation to firm faith in digital change during the digital transformation process,but also need to maintain a climate of independent learning and continuously improve organizational adaptability through learning new technologies and knowledge.In the process of digital transformation,enterprises are no longer constrained by geographical proximity,and organizational learning scenarios are increasingly diversified.Some general technologies,standardized knowledge or digital experience form outside can be directly acquired and copied by the enterprises.And enterprises also need to conduct rational experiments according to their own development needs,to deeply explore and activate the transformation path in the way of iterative improvement.Therefore,under the influence of the rapid development of digital technology and the explosive growth of data,the concept of organizational learning has been given new situational characteristics.As an important way for traditional manufacturing enterprises to obtain digital resources and break path dependence,it is necessary to explore the process mechanism of digital orientation affecting digital transformation performance from the perspective of organizational learning.Although digital orientation can play a strategic leading role and promote the enterprise digitization process by activating organizational learning,there is still a long way to go to ensure that enterprises choose the appropriate organizational learning mode and give full play to the maximum effect of organizational learning in the transformation.Digital infrastructure reflects the digital resource base of enterprises,and can provide resource support for cross-field,cross-organization and cross-department technical exchange and digital resource flow.At the same time,enterprises will take resource actions that match their strategies based on their own resource base in the practice of digital transformation.Clearly,digital infrastructure is a key boundary condition that influences digital orientation and organizational learning.In addition,organizational agility,as a dynamic ability for enterprises to adapt to changes in the digital age,can capture digital opportunities by discerning changes in customer needs with acuity,thus improving organizational learning efficiency.At the same time,it can also integrate internal and external resources through flexible adjustment of operation mode to optimize organizational learning effect.Therefore,organizational agility is an essential catalyst for organizational learning to improve the performance of digital transformation.Based on the above,this study takes "the influence mechanism of digital orientation on the digital transformation performance in traditional manufacturing enterprises" as the research theme,and provides theoretical responses and interpretations to the pain points and gambling points in the digital practice of traditional manufacturing enterprises.In the process of specific research,the first step is using literature research method to comprehensively and systematically sort out relevant literature.Through the review of strategic management theory,organizational learning theory,resource-based theory and dynamic capability theory,the theoretical foundation of the research is laid.And then,through the literature review of digital orientation,organizational learning,digital infrastructure,organizational agility and digital transformation performance,the gaps and the value of the research is clarified.The second step is using the case study method to select four traditional manufacturing enterprises the case objects.Through the comparative analysis of single case and cross-case,four typical characteristics of digital transformation of traditional manufacturing enterprises are summarized,namely,strategic guidance,dynamic leap-forward,path difference and integration innovation.Five core constructs are extracted based on case data analysis,and logic reasoning between variables is carried out according to the constructed theoretical model.A total of 15 hypotheses are proposed.The third step is using questionnaire survey method to carry out large-sample empirical research.Formal questionnaires are designed based on domestic and foreign mature scales,and formed after preliminary survey and questionnaire modification.And then related work such as questionnaire distribution and collection,empirical analysis and so on are carried out.Based on the results of data analysis,dialogue with existing research was conducted to further discuss the relationship between variables.The last step is summarizing the research conclusions,innovations and practical implications,and propose some future research ideas based on limitations of this paper.The results show that:(1)Digital orientation has a positive impact on digital transformation performance.(2)Acquisitive learning and trial-and-error learning play a mediating role between digital orientation and digital transformation performance respectively,and the mediating effect of trial-and-error learning is more significant.(3)Digital infrastructure positively moderates the relationship between digital orientation and acquisitive learning,trial-and-error learning respectively,and the mediating effect of acquisitive learning and trial-and-error learning on digital orientation and digital transformation performance.(4)Organizational agility positively moderates the relationship between acquisitive learning,trial-and-error learning and digital transformation performance respectively,as well as the mediating effect of acquisitive learning and trial-and-error learning on digital orientation and digital transformation performance.The innovation points of this study are as follows.First,the internal mechanism of digital transformation of traditional manufacturing enterprises is revealed,and the theoretical connection between digital orientation,organizational learning,digital infrastructure,organizational agility and digital transformation performance is deepened based on the characteristics of digital transformation of the industry.The existing literature has made a beneficial discussion on the driving factors of digital transformation,but most of them take small and medium-sized enterprises,new ventures and other broad groups as the research objects,unable to provide theoretical support for the digitalization practice in specific industries.This study summarized typical characteristics of digital transformation of traditional manufacturing enterprises through exploratory cases,and on this basis combined with strategic management theory,organizational learning theory,resource-based theory and dynamic capability theory,clarified the mechanism of digital orientation on digital transformation performance,and enriched relevant researches on digital transformation of manufacturing enterprises.Second,it deepens the conceptual connotation and dimension division of organizational learning in the digital economy,and reveals the mediating role of acquisition learning and trial and error learning in the relationship between digital orientation and digital transformation performance.As an important way to overcome path dependence,organizational learning plays an important role in the process of digital transformation,and presents the learning characteristics of imitation,development,trial and error and generalization.This phenomenon is the focus of theoretical explanation and response in this study.Combining "S-SCP" framework and organizational learning theory,this study clearly points out that acquisitive learning and trial-and-error learning are two modes of organizational learning in the digital context,and they are the key hubs connecting digital orientation and digital transformation performance.They not only enrich the research context of organizational learning,but also expand and extend the organizational learning theory in the digital context.Thirdly,by examining digital infrastructure and organizational agility as crucial moderating factors,it expands the boundary of digital orientation affecting digital transformation performance.Traditional manufacturing enterprises are restricted by weak digital foundation,poor organizational resilience and other weaknesses,and the digital transformation effect is not significant.Based on the industry characteristics,this study believes that digital infrastructure represents the resource base of enterprise digital transformation,and organizational agility reflects the dynamic ability of enterprises to overcome organizational inertia.According to resource-based theory and dynamic capability theory,digital infrastructure and organizational agility play a moderating role in the relationship between digital orientation and digital transformation performance,that is,by influencing the production and effect of organizational learning,and then influencing transformation performance.This study not only explains the reasons for the differences in learning patterns among different enterprises from the perspective of resources,but also responds to the disputes raised by some scholars on the effects of organizational learning from the perspective of competence,and enrich the relevant researches on digital infrastructure and organizational agility. |
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