Collaboration versus conflict? The impact of chairman-CEO technical background alignment on corporate digital technology innovation

Purpose With the rapid development of digital technologies, the importance of the technology background and innovation consciousness of top managers has become increasingly prominent. To promote corporate innovation, this study aims to investigate the impact of chairman-CEO technical background alignment on corporate digital technology innovation, then analyzes the mediating roles of innovation investment persistence and industry–university–research collaboration. The moderating effects of industry competition, government subsidies and investor attention are also explored. Design/methodology/approach This study uses fixed-effects models and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis to examine the impact of chairman-CEO technical background alignment on corporate digital technology innovation. The sample consists of A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2013 to 2022. Findings Chairman-CEO technical background alignment can significantly promote corporate digital technology innovation. Mechanism analysis reveals that chairman-CEO technical background alignment influences digital technology innovation through the creation of resource effects and synergistic effects. Specifically, the resource effect is reflected in the persistence of innovation investment, while the synergistic effect emphasizes deep collaboration among industry, university and research institutions. Further analysis shows that the positive impact of chairman-CEO technical background alignment on corporate digital technology innovation is more pronounced in firms facing higher industry competition, receiving greater government subsidies and attracting higher levels of investor attention. Practical implications Technical background alignment between chairman and CEO promotes corporate innovation, offering guidance for optimizing top management governance structures. By identifying innovation investment persistence and industry–university–research collaboration as key mechanisms, the findings provide actionable insights for firms’ innovation strategies. In addition, the results suggest that industry competition, government subsidies and investor attention can further amplify these effects, highlighting the importance of aligning internal governance with external competitive, policy and market conditions to advance digital technology innovation. Originality/value This study conceptualizes chairman-CEO technical alignment as a form of dyadic cognitive congruence that enhances the integration of strategic oversight and executive implementation. Such alignment not only mitigates communication frictions and informational asymmetries in high-tech decision contexts but also enables the effective coupling of technical oversight and technical execution at the apex of corporate governance. Moreover, by uncovering both internal and external mechanisms, this study elucidates how cognitive alignment at the top management level fosters firms’ digital technology innovation. Furthermore, the examination of boundary conditions related to market competition, government subsidies and investor attention provides a contextualized understanding of when and where such alignment yields the greatest innovation benefits.