DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND FIRM PERFORMANCE IN SHANDONG’S LOGISTICS SMES

Abstract

Please In the context of accelerating digital transformation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly confronted with multifaceted challenges arising from rapid technological disruption, evolving customer expectations, and intensifying market competition. These pressures are particularly evident in the logistics sector, where firms must continuously adapt to digital integration and operational complexity. Grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), this study develops a comprehensive conceptual model to examine how digital platforms, knowledge-based dynamic capabilities, and business model innovation (BMI) interact to influence firm performance, with a specific focus on logistics SMEs in emerging economies. The study investigates not only the direct impact of digital platforms on firm performance but also the indirect effects through the mediating roles of knowledge-based dynamic capability and business model innovation. By conceptualizing knowledge-based dynamic capability as a firm’s ability to acquire, integrate, and apply knowledge, and BMI as the mechanism through which firms reconfigure value creation and delivery, this research highlights the pathways through which digital technologies translate into performance outcomes. The findings are expected to provide both theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, the study enriches existing literature by integrating RBV and DCT to explain the synergistic relationships among the key constructs. Practically, it offers actionable insights for managers, emphasizing the role of digital platforms as strategic enablers of organizational adaptability and innovation. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of cultivating dynamic capabilities and aligning business models with digital opportunities to achieve sustained competitiveness and long-term performance improvement in an increasingly volatile business environment.