How Business–Government Relationships Drive Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Study of 292 Cities in China Using NCA and TDQCA

Shuigen Hu, Yilin Cang, Yulong Jie, Xianbo Wang and Lie’en Weng ()
Additional contact information
Shuigen Hu: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China
Yilin Cang: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China
Yulong Jie: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China
Xianbo Wang: School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310030, China
Lie’en Weng: School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-24

Abstract: Innovation is the driving force for achieving sustainable economic development, and healthy business–government relationships are the foundation and guarantee for promoting the sustainability of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. However, current academic research on the impact of business–government relations on digital innovation and entrepreneurship often neglects the configurational effects of various factors. Therefore, this study constructed an analytical framework from the new dimension of “close” and “clean” business–government relationships, selected 292 Chinese cities as research subjects, and employed the Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and Time-Differencing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (TDQCA) methods. From a configurational perspective, it explored the relationship between business–government relations and digital innovation and entrepreneurship. The results showed the following: Firstly, the various business–government relationship factors did not have a single linear impact on digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and configuration was more crucial than a single factor. Secondly, based on the integration of research findings and the theoretical framework, five successful configurations were proposed. However, these configurations possess certain adaptability and need to be tailored to local conditions. Thirdly, analyzing the three “non” condition variables in these five configurations, including “clean” business–government relationships, government efficiency, and new infrastructure, also contributed to enhancing the sustainability of digital innovation and entrepreneurship outcomes. Additionally, the study analyzed the implications of these critical configurations for five key stakeholders: government, enterprises, research institutions and academia, policymakers, and the public. Specifically, the government can implement policies tailored to local conditions to promote the sustainable development of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. These policies include increasing investment in digital infrastructure, simplifying approval processes, and enhancing the efficiency of government services.

Keywords: business–government relationship; digital innovation and entrepreneurship; TDQCA; configuration analysis; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6718/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/16/6718/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:16:p:6718-:d:1450802

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().