Digital Policy Quality and Enterprise Innovation: The Case of China’s Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone

Rui Zhao and Jingbo Fan ()
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Rui Zhao: School of Government, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China
Jingbo Fan: School of Government, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100029, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 12, 1-24

Abstract: In the context of promoting sustainable development and innovative growth, few studies have examined the signaling role of digital policy texts and its effects on enterprise innovation. Focused on the pilot project of China’s National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone (NBCPZ), this article applies the modified PMC index model to measure the quality of the 81 digital policies issued by the NBCPZ from 2016 to 2022 and uses a regression model to assess the impact of the digital policies’ quality on the enterprise innovation levels. The results show that the quality of digital policies released by NBCPZ in China shows temporal fluctuation and regional heterogeneity. High-quality digital policies positively promote enterprise innovation, and this relationship exhibits heterogeneity based on enterprise and industry characteristics. High-quality digital policies can enhance enterprises’ innovation level by optimizing the regional data innovation environment and enhancing the willingness of enterprises to innovate with data. These findings reveal the potential effects of digital policy in fostering sustainable enterprise practices and driving enterprise innovation capabilities.

Keywords: digital policy; enterprise innovation; policy text quality; PMC index model; signal theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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