Digital technology application on corporate internationalization: Co-moderating effect of centralizing decision power and internationalization experience.

Abstract

Digital technologies are a significant additional powerhouse for corporate internationalization and competitiveness. The existing research has not effectively distinguished the breadth and depth of internationalization, and there are also inadequate context considerations of how much digital technology applications influence enterprise internationalization. To bridge this gap, this paper has selected 203 valid questionnaires from manufacturing enterprises in Zhejiang Province, China, then elaborates and constructs a theoretical model based on existing studies, and using multiple linear regression analysis, finally to empirically assess and further explain the mechanisms of digital technologies' influence on corporate internationalization. The results reveal that utilizing digital technologies has positive influence on both internationalization breadth and depth. Moreover, centralizing decision power negatively moderates the relationship between enterprises' digital applications and their internationalization breadth (or depth), while internationalization experience has opposite influence, with these two factors jointly moderating such relationship. Finally, this research can contribute to better understanding of leveraging digital technologies to upgrade corporate internationalization and provides reasonable theoretical insights for enhancing deeper and more diversified enterprise internationalization.