Construction and effectiveness testing of an industrial digitalization participation index system

Purpose To address the gap in existing research that predominantly focuses on meso- and macro-level perspectives, this study investigates the degree of enterprise participation in industrial digitalization from a micro-level perspective and analyzes its impact on corporate performance. Design/methodology/approach Using A-share listed companies from 2017 to 2023 as the sample, an evaluation index system for industrial digitalization participation is constructed. The participation index is calculated using the TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation method based on game-theoretic combination weighting. An industrial network map of enterprises is developed according to their industrial distribution for vertical industry-category and horizontal time-series analysis. Findings The SCP framework from industrial organization theory is employed to examine the impact of participation on corporate performance. The overall level of industrial digitalization participation in China is relatively low and fairly uniform across industries. High-tech demand industries are suitable for deep technological penetration; light-asset service industries should focus on ecological collaboration and agile cooperation, leveraging strategic alliances to respond quickly to market changes; traditional heavy industries require strengthened policy guidance and leadership from leading enterprises to drive digital penetration industry-wide through benchmark projects. Empirical evidence indicates that participation in industrial digitalization significantly enhances corporate performance. Originality/value This study establishes a micro-level evaluation system for enterprise participation in industrial digitalization, integrates industrial network mapping with the SCP analytical framework and provides references for categorized digital advancement of enterprises, policy formulation and future research.