Digitalization and Sustainability Integration: The Impact of Digital Sustainability Orientation on Responsible Innovation in Emerging Technology Enterprises

The integration of digitalization and sustainability has become a prevailing trend in China’s current economic and social development. However, existing research rarely focuses on how emerging technology enterprises achieve responsible innovation through digital sustainability orientation. Based on resource orchestration theory, this study investigates the impact of digital sustainability orientation on responsible innovation, and explores the mediating role of resource orchestration and the moderating role of scientific ties, using a sample of 287 emerging technology enterprises. The empirical results show that: digital sustainability orientation positively influences responsible innovation; resource orchestration mediates the relationship between digital sustainability orientation and responsible innovation; scientific ties positively moderates the relationship between digital sustainability orientation and resource orchestration, and also positively moderates the mediating effect of resource orchestration on the relationship between digital sustainability orientation and responsible innovation. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the leading role of the sustainability orientation is greater than the enabling role of the digital orientation. This research clarifies the theoretical relationship and mechanism between digital sustainability orientation and responsible innovation, and offers practical guidance for emerging technology enterprises to promote responsible innovation.