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Interfirm coopetition and digital business model innovation in SMEs: The mediating role of intellectual capital and the moderating role of digital orientation

delete2026-08-10
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PRE
AI
X
Xiaoxiao Shi
W
Wei Shan *
R
Richard Evans
C
Chenxiao Wang
R
Rui Wang
DOI:10.1007/s10490-026-10171-4delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), digital business model innovation (DBMI) serves as a core enabler for cultivating and maintaining sustainable competitiveness. However, the mechanisms underlying SMEs’ DBMI in the digital age remain largely unexplored in the current literature. Grounded in the organizational learning and contingency theories, our research constructs a framework to investigate the joint effects of interfirm coopetition, intellectual capital, and digital orientation on SMEs’ DBMI. Based on the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of data collected from 434 Chinese SMEs, the results identify that interfirm coopetition is positively associated with SMEs’ DBMI. Intellectual capital (i.e., human capital, structural capital, and relational capital) mediate the above relationship. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that digital orientation positively moderates the relations between intellectual capital (i.e., human capital, structural capital, and relational capital) and DBMI. This study advances theoretical boundaries within the extant literature bridging interfirm coopetition and digital innovation in the context of SMEs. The findings further yield managerial implications for SMEs on aligning their interfirm coopetition strategies to cultivate intellectual capital when implementing DBMI initiatives.
Keywords:
Digital business model innovation
Interfirm coopetition
Intellectual capital
Digital orientation
SMEs

Journal

Asia Pacific Journal of Management cover
Asia Pacific Journal of Management
IF:
5.8
Papers:
1.1K
Citations:
4.6K

Organization

F
Faculty of Computer Science
Scholars:
183
Papers: 98
Citations: 0
S
School of Management
Scholars:
994
Papers: 569
Citations: 1
S
school of economics and management
Scholars:
635
Papers: 337
Citations: 0
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