Dual pathways to performance: Creator self-efficacy and identity navigation in cross-platform migration

As content creators increasingly migrate across digital platforms with distinct technical affordances, governance norms, and user cultures, understanding the mechanisms that drive successful adaptation becomes critical. Drawing on institutional theory, boundary-spanning theory, and social cognitive theory, this study examines how creator characteristics (content transferability, cross-platform social capital, and cultural adaptability) influence engagement performance through platform adaptation self-efficacy (PSE) and cross-cultural identity navigation (CN), as well as the moderating role of digital pioneer status. Survey data from 219 international creators who migrated from TikTok to China's RedNote platform reveal that content transferability and cross-platform social capital significantly enhance both PSE and CN, which in turn positively predict engagement performance; and that PSE and CN are critical pathways linking creator resources to performance. Moreover, digital pioneer status strengthens the impact of PSE on engagement. These findings demonstrate cognitive and relational pathways of adaptation, extend studies assuming universal role of cultural adaptability, and shed practical insights for creators and platforms navigating an increasingly fragmented digital ecosystem.