Exploring the Roles of Corporate Social Responsibility and Artificial Intelligence Adoption in the Impact of Political Connections on Innovation Performance

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), how firms can better fulfill corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of AI and the role of CSR in firms have attracted increasing attention. This study explored the role of CSR and AI adoption in the impact of political connections on innovation performance. Using a sample of 269 Chinese private firms, it found that CSR mediated the positive relationship between political connections and innovation performance. AI adoption positively moderates the facilitating effects of political connections on CSR and CSR on innovation performance. The findings of the study not only investigate the mechanism through which unique political connections (the establishment of Party organizations in firms) in Chinese private firms, viewed from a CSR perspective, influence innovation but also explore the moderating role of AI in this mechanism, suggesting that AI can enhance the positive impact of political connections on innovation via CSR.