Research on the Influence Mechanism of Bidirectional Resource Acquisition on Digital Transformation of Creative Enterprises—The Chain Mediation Effect Based on Boundary-Spanning Search and Absorptive Capacity

Abstract

Based on the reality that creative enterprises are subject to serious resource constraints and rigid capabilities, this paper constructs a “resource-capability” research framework to study the effective ways for creative enterprises to realize digital transformation through two-way resource acquisition. By conducting a questionnaire survey on 314 enterprises, the linear regression model and structural equation model were used to empirically analyze the relationship between resource acquisition behavior and digital transformation. The results show that: 1) Resource acquisition behavior, such as resource patching or resource mobilization, positively affects the digital transformation of creative enterprises. 2) Cross-boundary search and absorptive capacity have a positive impact on the digital transformation of creative enterprises. 3) Cross-boundary search and absorptive capacity have a positive chain mediation effect between resource patchwork and digital transformation, but not between resource mobilization and digital transformation. On this basis, this paper further puts forward some suggestions on resource acquisition, capacity building and the synergy between them.