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Article

Expert Credibility Factors and Their Impact on Digital Innovation and Sustainability Adoption in China’s Social Media Ecosystem

1
School of Humanities, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710061, China
2
School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
3
School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2025, 17(20), 9017; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209017 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 5 September 2025 / Revised: 24 September 2025 / Accepted: 6 October 2025 / Published: 11 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Innovation for a Sustainable Future)

Abstract

The successful implementation of digital transformation initiatives depends critically on public trust in experts guiding these processes. In today’s digital media environment, expert trust faces significant challenges, potentially hindering sustainable innovation adoption. This study investigates how expert credibility dimensions and information characteristics shape trust in digital transformation experts among Chinese social media users. We employed a mixed-methods approach combining a survey of 850 Chinese social media users, a quasi-experiment testing a digital expert verification feature, and secondary data analysis. The study measured multiple dimensions of expert trust while examining relationships with expert cognition factors and media usage variables through regression, mediation, and structural equation modeling. Expert trust in digital transformation exists at moderate levels (M = 6.82/10), with higher trust in digital innovation research (M = 7.12) than specific sustainability recommendations (M = 6.59). Expert authenticity emerged as the strongest predictor of trust (β = 0.27), followed by professional competence (β = 0.21). A “digital exposure paradox” emerged whereby higher volumes of expert information negatively predicted trust (β = −0.18), while information quality positively predicted trust (β = 0.25). The digital verification feature causally enhanced trust (DID = 0.57), with institutional sources strengthening trust while user-generated content diminished it. The findings reveal that digital transformation expert trust involves multi-dimensional evaluations beyond traditional credibility assessments. The “digital exposure paradox” suggests that prioritizing information quality over quantity, demonstrating expert authenticity, and implementing verification mechanisms can enhance trust and accelerate sustainable digital transformation adoption.
Keywords: digital transformation; expert trust; digital sustainability; information quality; social media; digital innovation adoption; expert credibility digital transformation; expert trust; digital sustainability; information quality; social media; digital innovation adoption; expert credibility

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Li, S.; Gao, C. Expert Credibility Factors and Their Impact on Digital Innovation and Sustainability Adoption in China’s Social Media Ecosystem. Sustainability 2025, 17, 9017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209017

AMA Style

Li S, Gao C. Expert Credibility Factors and Their Impact on Digital Innovation and Sustainability Adoption in China’s Social Media Ecosystem. Sustainability. 2025; 17(20):9017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209017

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Shasha, and Chao Gao. 2025. "Expert Credibility Factors and Their Impact on Digital Innovation and Sustainability Adoption in China’s Social Media Ecosystem" Sustainability 17, no. 20: 9017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209017

APA Style

Li, S., & Gao, C. (2025). Expert Credibility Factors and Their Impact on Digital Innovation and Sustainability Adoption in China’s Social Media Ecosystem. Sustainability, 17(20), 9017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209017

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