HOW DOES DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IMPACT TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY OF CHINESE SPORTS ENTERPRISES

The contemporary concept of quality productive forces is predicated on scientific and technological innovation, thereby promoting high-quality development through technological breakthroughs and factor recombination. Digital technology is indisputably pivotal in the development of new quality productive forces, thereby engendering an increase in the total factor productivity (TFP) in various domains. In the context of the sports manufacturing industry and the sports service industry, digital empowerment is primarily manifested through the integration of digital production factors and traditional production factors. Digital technology has been fully integrated into manufacturing, management, operation, and supply-demand analysis, resulting in the reshaping of production and operation models, the innovation of product (service) functions, and the optimisation of supply-demand linkages. The present paper is founded upon the TFP theory and employs this as a basis to construct a new econometric model. The present study selects sports enterprises from China's A-share market and the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ) from 2015 to 2024 as research samples, and examines the impact of digital transformation on the TFP of sports enterprises. The research findings indicate that the extent of digital transformation exerts a favourable influence on the TFP of sports enterprises, with the configuration of human capital and enterprise R&D functions serving as mediating factors in this relationship. The heterogeneity test demonstrated that the digital transformation level (DTL) exerted a significant positive influence on the total factor productivity (TFP) of both sports manufacturing enterprises and service enterprises. Concurrently, the impact of the structure of human capital and enterprise R&D on sports manufacturing enterprises and sports service enterprises varies considerably. In light of the aforementioned points, it is recommended that efforts be made to strengthen R&D investment and the cultivation of digital-related talents. Furthermore, it is advised that the transformation of sports data resources into data assets and data capital be promoted, and that the business models of the sports manufacturing industry and the sports service industry be further explored following digital transformation. These measures are expected to contribute to an enhancement in the TFP of sports enterprises.