Impact of Supply Chain Digitalization on Total Factor Productivity of Manufacturing Export Enterprises in Guangdong Province

Yueli Chen; Yubin Ma

doi:10.63313/EBM.9221

Authors

Yueli Chen School of Economics and Trade, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China Author
Yubin Ma School of Management, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/EBM.9221

Keywords:

Supply Chain Digitalization, Total Factor Productivity, Manufacturing Export Enterprises, Quasi-Natural Experiment, Guangdong Province

Abstract

Against the backdrop of deepening global digital economy and intensifying competition in industrial and supply chains, supply chain digitalization has become a key lever for manufacturing export enterprises to hedge external risks and cultivate competitive advantages. As China's leading manufacturing and foreign trade province, Guangdong hosts export-oriented manufacturers deeply embedded in global value chains. This study uses panel data from 308 A-share listed manufacturing firms in Guangdong with export operations between 2012 and 2024. Leveraging the 2018 pilot policy on supply chain innovation and application as a quasi-natural experiment, we employ a difference-in-differences model and the Levinsohn-Petrin method to estimate total factor productivity. Mediating mechanisms are examined through technological innovation, operational efficiency, and transaction costs. Results show that supply chain digitalization significantly enhances productivity, with stronger effects among larger exporters, Pearl River Delta firms, and high-tech manufacturers.

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