The Impact of Enterprise Digital Capability on Employee Sustainable Performance: From the Perspective of Employee Learning

Abstract

Background: Enterprises’ digital transformation is an important issue in the digital era. Exploring how digital transformation can be implemented successfully within enterprises is of considerable theoretical and practical significance. From the perspective of employee learning, this study focuses on employees and aims to establish the theoretical linkage between employees’ perception of enterprise digital capability and their sustainable performance. Methods: A survey using the random sampling technique was adopted to collect data from a large professional data platform. A multi-wave survey featuring 433 full-time Chinese employees was conducted using path analyses to test the hypotheses. Results: The results of the path analyses showed that: (1) employee learning and unlearning mediate the relationship between employees’ perception of an enterprise’s digital capability and their sustainable performance; (2) communication feedback strengthens the positive effects of perceived enterprise digital capability on learning, as well as on unlearning; and (3) the integrated moderated mediation model is valid. Conclusion: This paper proves that during enterprises’ digital transformation, employees’ perception of the enterprise’s digital capability promotes employee sustainable performance via both learning and unlearning. Communication feedback strengthens the above relationships. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature on digital transformation and highlights employee-learning-related organizational management issues, shedding light on the practice of enterprise digital transformation.

Unlocking digital potential: Exploring the drivers of employee dynamic capability on employee digital performance in Chinese SMEs-moderation effect of competitive climate

“…Digital capability embodies an organization's proficiency in leveraging digital technologies, tools, and processes to attain strategic objectives. However, employee dynamic capability serves as the impetus for determining how individuals adeptly harness digital capability and transform it into digital performance [ 38 ]. Employee dynamic capability, characterized by adaptability, empowers individuals to adeptly respond to and navigate digital changes, challenges, and opportunities.…”

“…Beyond examining the impact of human resource management on employee digital performance, scholars posit that sustained organizational competitive advantage should also consider three core elements. Firstly, the significant role of digital capabilities in influencing employee performance [ 10 ]. Secondly, the influence of organizational learning on employee performance.…”

“…Their mindset, values, and attitudes towards digital transformation are crucial for the organization to gain a competitive edge in the future. Therefore, in this inevitable, dynamic, and complex process, employees must engage in continuous learning, enhancing their dynamic capabilities and elevating their performance levels [ 38 ]. Organizational learning refers to the systematic process through which individuals within an organization generate, retain, and share knowledge.…”

Effect of Digital Transformation on Firm Performance in the Uncertain Environment: Transformational Leadership and Employee Self-Efficacy as Antecedents of Digital Transformation

“…Thus, they can play an active role in this process and support its successful implementation. Moreover, in this process, employees need to constantly learn, quickly adapt to changes and new tasks, and improve themselves digitally [9]. Employees who believe in themselves believe that they too can create change in this process and realize their own role, and they are willing to undertake challenging tasks.…”

“…Being able to realize the possible benefits of these technologies depends on the active participation of employees and the behavioral styles of managers in the process. Digital transformation requires radical organizational changes, which is why the human factor within the organization is not passive but plays an active role in this change [9]. In other words, the two critical elements required for digital transformation are technology and people [10].…”