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Single Champions policy and corporate digital innovation: evidence from China

Yapu Zhao et al.

Industrial and Corporate Change2026https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag020article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

How to effectively stimulate enterprise digital innovation has long been a critical research question. This study posits that government industrial policy may serve as a key driver of such innovation. Focusing on enterprises recognized as “Single Champions” between 2014 and 2021, we employ a multi-period propensity score matching combined with difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) approach to empirically examine the impact of the Single Champions policy on corporate digital innovation. The findings reveal that being designated as a Single Champion exerts a significant positive incentive effect on firms’ digital innovation. Further analysis identifies market status and network centrality as important moderators that strengthen this relationship. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that government industrial policy can effectively incentivize and propel enterprise digital innovation.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag020

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@article{yapu2026,
  title        = {{Single Champions policy and corporate digital innovation: evidence from China}},
  author       = {Yapu Zhao et al.},
  journal      = {Industrial and Corporate Change},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag020},
}

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Single Champions policy and corporate digital innovation: evidence from China

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.