Stakeholder engagement & knowledge digitalization for sustainable performance in the era of artificial intelligence

Technological factors and stakeholder engagement promote organizations’ sustainable performance. This study aims to determine sustainable performance through stakeholder engagement, knowledge digitalization, disruptive innovation, AI information quality, data-driven decision-making (DD), and responsible big data intelligence. Data were collected from 394 managers of Chinese manufacturing organizations via a questionnaire survey conducted between June and August 2025. The results reveal that stakeholder involvement and knowledge digitalization are key factors in DD. Additionally, DD significantly mediates stakeholder engagement, knowledge digitalization, and sustainable performance. Disruptive innovation substantially moderates the stakeholder engagement–DD relationship. Moreover, AI information quality significantly moderates the knowledge digitalization–DD relationship. Responsible big data intelligence moderates the DD–sustainable performance relationship. This study highlights a significant issue in how the manufacturing sector’s management utilizes stakeholder engagement, knowledge digitalization, DD, disruptive innovation, AI quality information, and responsible big data intelligence to determine sustainable performance. This initial research incorporates stakeholder engagement, knowledge digitalization, DD, disruptive innovation, AI quality information, responsible big data intelligence, and sustainable performance from the perspective of the resource-based view.