Enterprise digital transformation, COVID-19 and innovation persistence: evidence from China

This study investigates the detrimental influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the corporate innovation persistence and explores the mitigating effect of digital transformation by using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic engenders a reduction in the corporate innovation persistence. However, a higher degree of digital transformation effectively alleviates this effect through three mechanisms: alleviating financial constraints, maintaining business stability, and improving investment efficiency. Our findings contribute to the literature concerning the relationship between digital transformation and corporate innovation, and provide micro-level evidence of the digital transformation of enterprises to mitigate public emergencies.