数字化转型与中小企业分工深化——基于专精特新企业的机制检验

Does Digital Transformation Promote the Deepening of the Division of Labor in SMEs: A Mechanism Test Based on “SRDI” Enterprises

摘要:

深化中小企业分工是增强企业核心竞争力的关键抓手,也是提高产业链安全韧性的重要路径。在数字经济背景下,数字化转型不仅帮助大型企业实现标准化重塑,也对中小企业分工方式产生深远影响。其中,专精特新企业的专业化路径将为中小企业专业化发展起到示范引领作用。基于2000—2023年A股上市的专精特新企业数据,从成本、创新、融资三个角度实证考察了数字化转型对中小企业专业化分工的多元影响机制。结果表明,数字化转型能够显著促进中小企业专业化分工,并且该结果经过一系列稳健性检验后依旧成立。机制分析表明,数字化转型通过降低外部交易成本、提高创新能力、缓解融资约束促进专精特新中小企业专业化分工。异质性分析表明,该促进作用在非劳动密集型企业、国有企业、市场化水平较高和东部地区企业中影响更大。研究结果揭示了数字化转型对中小企业分工的影响机理,研究结论有助于为广大中小企业深化分工提供经验参考,对中小企业数字化转型与高质量发展相关政策的制定具有启示作用。

Abstract:

Deepening the division of labor among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a key way to enhance their core competitiveness and an important path to improve the safety and resilience of industrial chains. Against the backdrop of the digital economy, digital transformation not only helps large enterprises achieve standardized restructuring but also profoundly impacts the division of labor methods of SMEs. Among them, specialized, refined, differential and Innovational (“SRDI”) enterprises can play an exemplary and leading role in the specialized development of other SMEs. Based on data from A-share listed “ SRDI” enterprises from 2000 to 2023, the diverse impact mechanisms of digital transformation on the vertical specialization of SMEs were empirically examined from the perspectives of cost, innovation, and financing. The results reveal that digital transformation significantly improves the vertical specialization of SMEs. This conclusion is still valid after a series of robustness tests. The mechanism analysis finds that digital transformation deepens vertical specialization by reducing external transaction costs, enhancing innovation capabilities, and alleviating financing constraints. The heterogeneity analysis indicates that this promoting effect is more pronounced in non-labor-intensive enterprises, state-owned enterprises, and enterprises located in regions with higher marketization levels and in eastern China. The influence mechanism of digital transformation on the division of labor of SMEs is revealed. It conclusions are considered to provide practical pathways for SMEs to deepen their division of labor. Implications are offered for the formulation of policies related to the digital transformation and high-quality development of SMEs.