How does digital capability translate into export performance?: The critical mediating role of GVC upgrading

IF 1.5

Asia and the Global Economy Pub Date : 2025-09-30 DOI:10.1016/j.aglobe.2025.100116

Segu Oh , Seonggwuen Hwang

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Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is reshaping global value chains (GVCs), creating new strategic imperatives for export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study elucidates how technology adoption translates into enhanced export performance for Korean SMEs. Drawing on survey data from 131 Korean export SMEs, we test a comprehensive model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal a sequential pathway: Fourth Industrial Revolution technology adoption significantly enhances firms' 'Digital Trade Capability,' which drives 'GVC Upgrading' across products, processes, and functions. Crucially, Digital Trade Capability has no direct effect on Export Performance, with its impact being fully mediated by GVC Upgrading—the single most powerful predictor of export success. This indicates that for SMEs, mere possession of digital capabilities is insufficient; these capabilities must be strategically leveraged to actively upgrade the firm's GVC position. Our findings provide critical insights for managers navigating digital transformation and policymakers shaping industrial strategy.

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数字能力如何转化为出口绩效？：全球价值链升级的关键中介作用

第四次工业革命正在重塑全球价值链，为出口导向型中小企业创造新的战略要求。本研究阐明了技术采用如何转化为提高韩国中小企业的出口绩效。利用131家韩国出口中小企业的调查数据，我们使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）测试了一个综合模型。研究结果揭示了一个顺序路径：第四次工业革命技术的采用显著提高了企业的“数字贸易能力”，从而推动了跨产品、流程和功能的“全球价值链升级”。关键是，数字贸易能力对出口绩效没有直接影响，其影响完全由全球价值链升级介导，这是出口成功的唯一最有力的预测因素。这表明，对于中小企业来说，仅仅拥有数字化能力是不够的；必须战略性地利用这些能力，积极提升公司在全球价值链中的地位。我们的研究结果为引导数字化转型的管理者和制定产业战略的决策者提供了重要的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Asia and the Global Economy

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