Unlocking green manufacturing: a multi-pathway analysis of digital transformation, leadership, and employee engagement in emerging economies

This study investigates the mechanisms that link digital transformation to environmental performance in Chinese manufacturing firms through open innovation, a sense of empowerment, a digital organizational culture, and technological work engagement, while considering digital leadership as a critical human-centered enabler. This research develops and tests an integrative conceptual framework. This study employed a purposive sampling methodology and collected data from 589 senior and middle-level managers of manufacturing firms in China. The results reveal that DT and DL are significantly and positively associated with OI, SOE, DOC, and TWE. Furthermore, OI, SOE, and TWE significantly predict ENP, while DOC shows an insignificant relationship with ENP. By employing technological capabilities, leadership practices, collaborative innovation, psychological states, cultural dimensions, and behavioral engagement, this research provides comprehensive insights into sustainable digital transformation in resource-constrained, rapidly industrializing contexts.