Digital-Driven Sustainability: The Role of Digitalization in Mitigating Environmental Misconduct in Emerging Economies
基于2009-2022年中国上市公司数据，研究发现数字化能显著减少企业环境不当行为，且海归董事和市场竞争会增强这一抑制作用。
Despite increasing scholarly interest in digitalization for enhancing corporate performance and sustainability, theoretical and empirical research on its potential to deter firms' environmental misconduct remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs dynamic capability theory to examine the impact of digitalization on reducing environmental misconduct, along with the moderating effects of returnee directors and market competition. Leveraging a longitudinal dataset of 4,234 Chinese-listed firms (2009–2022), we reveal a robust negative association between digitalization and environmental misconduct. In addition, returnee directors and intense market competition amplify this deterrence effect, underscoring the interplay between technological capabilities and institutional governance. The findings remain robust across various alternative measures and endogeneity tests, including the Heckman two-stage model, PSM, and a two-year lagged approach. Overall, this study extends digitalization and corporate governance literature in the environmental management context by offering fresh insights into the relationship between digitalization and environmental misconduct in emerging economies