Configurational Pathways of Digital Empowerment Enabling Green Technology Innovation Under the TOE Framework

Ronghao Zhong; Jingyu Tian

doi:10.54097/gxmkjp51

Authors

Ronghao Zhong
Jingyu Tian

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/gxmkjp51

Keywords:

TOE, Digitalization, Green Technology Innovation, fsQCA.

Abstract

In the context of the global green transition, enhancing regional green technology innovation capabilities through digital empowerment has emerged as a pressing challenge. Grounded in the TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework, this study integrates three dimensions—technological, organizational, and environmental—to empirically investigate the configurational pathways across 30 Chinese provinces using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Key findings reveal: (1) No single condition independently drives high-level green technology innovation, requiring synergistic interactions across multiple dimensions; (2) Three distinct pathways emerge—an industry-oriented with environmental synergy type, a dual-core innovation-finance type, and a multidimensional integration type; (3) Digital innovation capacity, digital industrial clustering, and digital financial ecosystems serve as universal core conditions, while other factors establish adaptive mechanisms through complementary or substitutive relationships. Theoretical contributions are threefold: (1) A configurational TOE framework integrating technological, organizational, and environmental dimensions is proposed, addressing the prior literature's overemphasis on isolated micro-level variables and linear causality; (2) Methodologically, we pioneer the application of fsQCA to decode the synergistic mechanisms of digital empowerment in GTI, overcoming the limitations of conventional regression in capturing nonlinear interactions and equifinality; (3) Contextually, we validate the TOE framework in China’s regional governance context by incorporating localized indicators, offering a reference for developing countries’ sustainability transitions. Practically, this study challenges the "one-size-fits-all" governance paradigm by proposing three differentiated pathways (industry-environment synergy, innovation-finance dual-core, and multidimensional integration), emphasizing adaptive policy portfolios tailored to regional digital maturity.

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