The Influence Mechanism of New Quality Productivity Forces on Supply Chain Efficiency: Technological Innovation as a Mediating Variable

Amidst global economic volatility and technological disruption, enhancing supply chain efficiency remains critical, yet the fragmented theoretical frameworks, opaque mediation mechanisms, and neglected contextual heterogeneity in understanding how new quality productivity forces (NQPFs) drive this transformation constitute a critical research gap. This study empirically examines NQPF’s impact on supply chain efficiency and its underlying mechanisms, addressing three core problems: first, the lack of a holistic NQPF framework integrating digital, green, and talent dimensions; second, insufficiently explored mediating roles of technological innovation; and third, unaddressed heterogeneity across ownership types, industries, and regions. Using 2012–2022 panel data from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies, we employ robustness tests, mediating effect models, and heterogeneity analyses. The results reveal that the NQPF significantly improves supply chain efficiency, primarily through technological innovation—which accounts for 84.6% of the variance—acting via technological innovation, management restructuring, and digital transformation. Crucially, heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger effects in state-owned enterprises, nonhigh-tech industries, and Eastern China, whereas high-tech sectors face integration challenges. Our originality lies in three aspects: integrating the NQPF’s multiple dimensions into a unified theoretical framework; empirically clarifying the “black-box” mediation of innovation; and providing granular evidence for differentiated regional/industrial policies to bolster supply chain resilience.