IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v58y2023ipcs1544612323009455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stem CEOs and firm digitalization

Author

Listed:
  • Kong, Dongmin
  • Liu, Boyang
  • Zhu, Ling

Abstract

The personal background of a CEO plays a central role in strategy implementation and business transformation. In this study, we examine the effect of a CEO's STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) qualifications on corporate digital transformation. Our findings suggest that firms led by CEOs with a STEM background perform better in digital transformation. A CEO possessing STEM degree are better able to discern the value of R&D investment and innovative output efficiency, which facilitates the process from technological innovation to achievements.

Suggested Citation

  • Kong, Dongmin & Liu, Boyang & Zhu, Ling, 2023. "Stem CEOs and firm digitalization," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pc:s1544612323009455
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104573
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323009455
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104573?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christophe Boone & Walter Hendriks, 2009. "Top Management Team Diversity and Firm Performance: Moderators of Functional-Background and Locus-of-Control Diversity," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(2), pages 165-180, February.
    2. Dongmin Kong & Boyang Liu, 2023. "Digital Technology and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(9), pages 2967-2993, July.
    3. Luo, Yonggen & Cui, Huijie & Zhong, Huiyi & Wei, Changhua, 2023. "Business environment and enterprise digital transformation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    4. Vincent L. Barker , III & George C. Mueller, 2002. "CEO Characteristics and Firm R&D Spending," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(6), pages 782-801, June.
    5. Chemmanur, Thomas J. & Kong, Lei & Krishnan, Karthik & Yu, Qianqian, 2019. "Top Management Human Capital, Inventor Mobility, and Corporate Innovation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 54(6), pages 2383-2422, December.
    6. AlNuaimi, Bader K. & Kumar Singh, Sanjay & Ren, Shuang & Budhwar, Pawan & Vorobyev, Dmitriy, 2022. "Mastering digital transformation: The nexus between leadership, agility, and digital strategy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 636-648.
    7. Kong, Dongmin & Zhang, Bohui & Zhang, Jian, 2022. "Higher education and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Wu, Keping & Fu, Yumei & Kong, Dongmin, 2022. "Does the digital transformation of enterprises affect stock price crash risk?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    9. Geneviève Bassellier & Izak Benbasat & Blaize Horner Reich, 2003. "The Influence of Business Managers' IT Competence on Championing IT," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 317-336, December.
    10. André Hanelt & René Bohnsack & David Marz & Cláudia Antunes Marante, 2021. "A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Transformation: Insights and Implications for Strategy and Organizational Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 1159-1197, July.
    11. Nils-Petter Augustsson & Agneta Nilsson & Jonny Holmström & Lars Mathiassen, 2019. "Managing digital infrastructures: negotiating control and drift in service provisioning," International Journal of Business Information Systems, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 30(1), pages 51-78.
    12. Zhang, Zhengyi & Jin, Jun & Li, Shijing & Zhang, Yuanmin, 2023. "Digital transformation of incumbent firms from the perspective of portfolios of innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Yang, Yang & Chen, Wanying & Yu, Zhuangxiong, 2023. "Local government debt and corporate digital transformation: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Cong & Liu, Jiaxuan & Liu, Yuwei & Wang, Xiaoyu, 2023. "Can digitalization empowerment improve the efficiency of corporate capital allocation? —Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1794-1810.
    2. Christopher Kurzhals & Lorenz Graf‐Vlachy & Andreas König, 2020. "Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 437-464, November.
    3. Javed, Muzhar & Wang, Fangjun & Usman, Muhammad & Ali Gull, Ammar & Uz Zaman, Qamar, 2023. "Female CEOs and green innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    4. Mihaela Brindusa Tudose & Amalia Georgescu & Silvia Avasilcăi, 2023. "Global Analysis Regarding the Impact of Digital Transformation on Macroeconomic Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Gao, Lei & Han, Jianlei & Pan, Zheyao & Zhang, Huixuan, 2023. "Individualistic CEO and corporate innovation: Evidence from U.S. frontier culture," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).
    6. Wang, Lan, 2023. "Digital transformation and total factor productivity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    7. Liu, Shasha & Kong, Dongmin & Zhang, Jian, 2024. "Air pollution-induced brain drain: Evidence from inventor mobility," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    8. Qianxiao Zhang & Yixue Duan, 2023. "How Digitalization Shapes Export Product Quality: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, April.
    9. Dimitrios Gounopoulos & Georgios Loukopoulos & Panagiotis Loukopoulos, 2021. "CEO education and the ability to raise capital," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 67-99, January.
    10. Shen, Yuchen & Ren, Xiaoping, 2023. "Digital finance and upgrading of industrial structure: Prefecture-level evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    11. Yan, Weichen & Cai, Zhipeng & Yang, Aishu, 2023. "Leading the charge: The impact of executives with R&D backgrounds on corporate digital transformation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    12. Zhong, Xi & Ren, Ge, 2023. "Independent and joint effects of CSR and CSI on the effectiveness of digital transformation for transition economy firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    13. Zhu, Changchun & Li, Na & Ma, Jing, 2024. "Impact of CEO overconfidence on enterprise digital transformation: Moderating effect based on digital finance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    14. Liu, Guangqiang & Lv, Lingli, 2022. "Government regulation on corporate compensation and innovation: Evidence from China's minimum wage policy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    15. Wang, Sai & Wen, Wen & Niu, Yuhao & Li, Xin, 2024. "Digital transformation and corporate labor investment efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    16. Zhu, Xiumei & Li, Yue, 2023. "The use of data-driven insight in ambidextrous digital transformation: How do resource orchestration, organizational strategic decision-making, and organizational agility matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    17. Li, Yafei & Mbanyele, William & Sun, Jinping, 2022. "Managerial R&D hands-on experience, state ownership, and corporate innovation," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    18. Cui, Lin & Wang, Yanshu, 2023. "Can corporate digital transformation alleviate financial distress?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    19. Liu, Yang & Dong, Jiuyu & Mei, Liang & Shen, Rui, 2023. "Digital innovation and performance of manufacturing firms: An affordance perspective," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    20. Aurelija Burinskienė & Milena Seržantė, 2022. "Digitalisation as the Indicator of the Evidence of Sustainability in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-20, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pc:s1544612323009455. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.