Digital Transformation and Ambidextrous Innovation for Sustainable Growth: Evidence from Listed Tourism Firms in China

This study investigates how digital transformation (DT) shapes ambidextrous innovation patterns (simultaneous vs. sequential) in tourism firms. It distinguishes between simultaneous and sequential innovation patterns and examines the mediating role of strategic flexibility in these relationships. Using econometric modeling, we analyze 11-year panel data (2012–2022) from 72 Chinese listed tourism enterprises. The study finds that DT positively influences both simultaneous and sequential innovation patterns. Furthermore, strategic flexibility plays a stronger mediating role in the simultaneous innovation pattern than in the sequential one. The research contributes to the DT literature by shedding light on how tourism firms can manage the challenges associated with ambidextrous innovation patterns to enhance long-term competitiveness and sustainable development. It also enriches the ambidextrous innovation literature by providing a holistic model that captures the dynamics of both patterns, offering valuable insights for tourism firms to better balance resource allocation and integrated utilization in pursuit of sustainable innovation outcomes.