Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

Digital innovation, defined as ‘the change or creation of products and innovation processes that result from the new combinations of digital and physical components enabled by digital technology’ (Liu et al., 2021b, p. 2), has been transforming organizational and societal development (e.g., Sachs et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022). We expect incremental and radical digital innovations to be harnessed to reduce inequality, as well as provide new solutions for the sustainable development of organizations and society. For example, digital innovations may have profound implications for platform governance, firms’ sustainable advantages, corporate social responsibility, eco-innovations, frugal innovation in emerging markets, urban governance, etc. (Chen et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2021a; 2022; Ying et al., 2022; Yang & Huang, 2022)

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to gather high-quality papers that contribute towards both theoretical and practical development in the context of digital innovation for sustainable development. We welcome contributions that investigate issues related to the sustainable behaviors of organizations such as firms, universities, hospitals and government agencies from various perspectives of digital innovations.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Digital innovation and corporate social responsibility;
• Digital innovation for smart cities;
• Digital platform governance and sustainability;
• Digital technologies and social innovation;
• Digital innovation for sustainable advantages;
• Digital technologies and environmental innovations;
• Digital technologies and low-carbon circular economy.

References:

Chen, L., Li, S., Wei, J., & Yang, Y. (2022). Externalization in the platform economy: Social platforms and institutions. Journal of International Business Studies, 1-12.

Liu, Y., Dai, W., Liao, M., & Wei, J. (2021a). Social status and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Chinese privately owned firms. Journal of Business Ethics, 169(4), 651-672.

Liu, Y., Dong, J., Ying, Y., & Jiao, H. (2021b). Status and digital innovation: A middle-status conformity perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 168, 120781.

Liu, Y., Dong, J., Mei, L., & Shen, R. (2022). Digital innovation and performance of manufacturing firms: An affordance perspective. Technovation, 102458.

Sachs, J. D., Schmidt-Traub, G., Mazzucato, M., Messner, D., Nakicenovic, N., & Rockström, J. (2019). Six transformations to achieve the sustainable development goals. Nature sustainability, 2(9), 805-814.

Ying, Y., Wang, S., & Liu, Y. (2022). Make bricks without straw: Eco-innovation for resource-constrained firms in emerging markets. Technovation, 102517.

Yang, C., & Huang, C. (2022). Quantitative mapping of the evolution of AI policy distribution, targets and focuses over three decades in China. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121188.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Yang Liu
Dr. Zhigang Fan
Dr. Tuoyu Li
Dr. Yang Yang
Guest Editors

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