The effect of manufacturing agent heterogeneity on enterprise innovation performance and competitive advantage in the era of digital transformation

The digital transformation of the manufacturing industry has reshaped the collaborative innovation model of multi-agent value co-creation in the value chain. The nature and collaborative behavior of heterogeneous agents in the value chain are key factors affecting innovation performance. This study uses the structural equation model (SEM) and conducts a questionnaire survey on 381 manufacturing enterprises. It examines the different impacts of agent heterogeneity and collaborative behavior on the innovation performance of manufacturing enterprises in digital transformation under different digitization levels and enterprise sizes. The results show that highly digitized or large-scale enterprises can reduce the negative impact of agent heterogeneity on innovation performance. However, the cooperation quality of enterprises with low digitalization levels or small-scale enterprises plays an important role in improving enterprise performance. These results help manufacturing enterprises accelerate digital transformation and provide a strategic reference for transforming and upgrading the digital economy.