Digital Transformation and Ambidextrous Innovation for Sustainable Growth

A recent study published in the Sustainability journal explores the relationship between digital transformation and ambidextrous innovation in the tourism industry. The research, conducted by a team of scholars from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, examines the impact of digital transformation on the ability of tourism firms to innovate simultaneously and sequentially. The study finds that digital transformation has a positive effect on both types of innovation, and that strategic flexibility plays a more significant role in simultaneous innovation.

Key Takeaways:

• The study analyzes 11-year panel data from 72 Chinese listed tourism enterprises, covering the period from 2012 to 2022.
• Digital transformation is found to positively influence both simultaneous and sequential innovation patterns in tourism firms.
• Strategic flexibility is found to play a stronger mediating role in the simultaneous innovation pattern than in the sequential one.
• The research contributes to the digital transformation literature by shedding light on how tourism firms can manage the challenges associated with ambidextrous innovation patterns to enhance long-term competitiveness and sustainable development.
• The study provides a holistic model that captures the dynamics of both simultaneous and sequential innovation patterns, offering valuable insights for tourism firms to better balance resource allocation and integrated utilization in pursuit of sustainable innovation outcomes.
• Key authors on the research include Ou Bai, Suze Chen, Siyi Pu, and Yitong Ou from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University.

Statistics:

• The study uses 11 years of panel data from 72 Chinese listed tourism enterprises, covering the period from 2012 to 2022.
• The data analysis was conducted using econometric modeling.
• The study finds that digital transformation positively influences both simultaneous and sequential innovation patterns, with a stronger mediating role of strategic flexibility in the simultaneous innovation pattern.

Sources:

• Digital Transformation and Ambidextrous Innovation for Sustainable Growth: Evidence From Listed Tourism Firms In China. Sustainability, 2025;17(13):5923
• Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University
• National Social Science Foundation
• Zhejiang Soft Science Foundation
• Ou Bai