Does digital transformation curb the formation of zombie firms? A machine learning approach

Based on the dynamic capability view theory, we examined the impact of digital transformation (DT) on zombie firm formation using a sample of listed Chinese firms. Through textual analysis of firms' annual reports, we categorized DT into three dimensions: strategy, technology (i.e. artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and big data), and application. Then, we employed 11 machine learning algorithms to detect zombie firms, compared the prediction performance, and calculated the contribution of each DT indicator. The results show that DT can effectively curb the formation of zombie firms. Specifically, big data contributes the most to suppressing the prevalence of zombie firms, followed by artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and DT application. Nevertheless, DT strategy and blockchain cannot reduce zombie likelihood. Finally, our research offers valuable insights for policymakers to address the issues of zombie firms.