How can digitalisation help emerging marketing multinational companies improve innovation performance through international ambidexterity? Analysis of China’s healthcare industry
European Journal of Innovation Management
ISSN: 1460-1060
Article publication date: 14 December 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role of international ambidexterity (IA) in improving the innovation capability of emerging market multinationals. In particular, the main purpose of this research is to study the relationship amongst digitalisation, IA and innovation performance (IP) amongst multinational enterprises in China’s healthcare industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for this investigation were collected from 134 listed companies in China’s healthcare industry during the study period. This study tested the hypotheses by constructing a two-way fixed-effects model.
Findings
The results show that both the balance dimension and the combined dimension of IA have significant positive effects on IP. Digitalisation not only has a direct positive effect on IP but also positively moderates the positive correlation between IA and IP.
Originality/value
Previous studies have not captured the relationship between ambidexterity, digitalisation and IP, and this study helps to fill in the gap and examine these associations in China’s healthcare industry. The results of this study provide valuable insights for healthcare industry managers to understand the role of ambidexterity and digitalisation in innovation in the context of internationalisation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 72002003]; the Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China [grant numbers 18YJC630203]; the foundation of Anhui Provincial Department of Education [grant number 2022AH050021]. All authors are grateful for the financial support. In addition, the anonymous reviewers' comments have greatly improved the paper, and the authors appreciate their help and constructive comments on our work.
Citation
Xiao, P., Zhang, H., Yin, S. and Xia, Z. (2023), "How can digitalisation help emerging marketing multinational companies improve innovation performance through international ambidexterity? Analysis of China’s healthcare industry", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-07-2023-0590
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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