How Does Digital Transformation Drive Green Transformation? Key Roles of Green Intellectual Capital and Green Innovation

Green development and digitization have become essential for firms seeking to address environmental and production challenges. This paper examines the relationships among digital transformation (DT), green intellectual capital (GIC), green innovation (GI), and green transformation (GT), and it explores the roles of GIC and GI in the association between DT and GT. Survey data from 270 Chinese manufacturing firms were gathered to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that DT is significantly and positively associated with GT, with GIC and GI acting as mediators between DT and GT. Moreover, GIC is an effective moderator that strengthens the relationships between DT and GI and between GI and GT. This paper develops a framework that traces the pathway from DT to GT through GIC and GI. In addition, it simultaneously examines the direct and indirect effects of DT, GIC, GI, and GT, offering new insights into the literature on digital transformation and green development.