Digital Transformation Capability, Organizational Strategic Intuition, and Digital Leadership: Empirical Evidence from High-Tech Firms’ Performance in the Yangtze River Delta

Yu Zhang, Trairong Swatdikun (), Pankaewta Lakkanawanit, Shi-Zheng Huang and Heng Chen
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Yu Zhang: School of Accountancy and Finance, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Trairong Swatdikun: School of Accountancy and Finance, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Pankaewta Lakkanawanit: School of Accountancy and Finance, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
Shi-Zheng Huang: School of Economics and Management, Nanning Normal University, Nanning 530001, China
Heng Chen: School of Management, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong 643000, China

JRFM, 2025, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: Despite growing scholarly interest in digital transformation, few studies have systematically explored the mechanisms linking digital transformation capability to firm performance. This study examines both the direct and indirect effects of digital transformation capability on firm performance, offering novel insights by incorporating organizational strategic intuition and digital leadership as mediating variables. These mediators align with the emerging emphasis on strategic risk management in the literature. A survey was conducted among 620 high-tech enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 for descriptive and correlational statistics, SmartPLS 4.0 for structural equation modeling (SEM), and PROCESS 4.2 for mediation analysis. The results reveal a significant direct effect of digital transformation capability on firm performance. Mediation analysis further shows that organizational strategic intuition and digital leadership each significantly mediate this relationship, and a chain mediation pathway involving both variables is also confirmed. These findings deepen our understanding of how digital transformation capability drives performance outcomes and offer practical guidance for high-tech firms seeking sustainable competitive advantages in dynamic digital environments. This study advances the theoretical discourse by clarifying the pathways through which digital transformation capability affects firm performance and provides empirical evidence to inform strategic decision-making in high-tech management.

Keywords: digital transformation capability; firm performance; organizational strategic intuition; digital leadership; resource-based view (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C E F2 F3 G (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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