Digital transformation and organizational resilience: a resource orchestration perspective on R&D investment intensity

This study explores how digital transformation influences organizational resilience, focusing on the role of research and development (R&D) investment intensity as a mediator. By integrating the dynamic capabilities view and resource orchestration, we examine the mechanisms through which digital transformation enhances organizational resilience. Using panel data from 2,960 Chinese publicly listed manufacturing firms, our findings show that digital transformation positively impacts both R&D investment intensity and organizational resilience. R&D investment intensity exhibits a U-shaped relationship with resilience, where moderate R&D investment intensity constrain resilience, and higher levels enhance it. Market uncertainty strengthens the effect of digital transformation on R&D investment intensity, emphasizing the importance of external environmental factors. Additionally, although inventory slack amplifies the U-shaped relationship between R&D investment intensity and resilience, capacity slack dampens this relationship, highlighting the influence of internal resources. This study contributes to understanding how firms leverage digital transformation and R&D investment to build resilience under varying internal and external conditions.