Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

11-2025

Abstract

Against the backdrop of deeply integrated digital and platform economies, the resource characteristics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and platform participation’s impact on business performance have emerged as key interdisciplinary research focuses between strategic management and digital economy studies. Building upon the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), the study establishes a theoretical framework of “resource characteristics-platform participation-business performance.” It systematically examines the relationships and moderating mechanisms among SMEs’ resource endowment, platform embedding strategies, and performance outcomes.

The study adopts a mixed-method design, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative case studies. Using valid samples of 333 Chinese SMEs, it conducts questionnaire surveys and multivariate statistical modeling to empirically examine the direct impacts of three core resources (human resources, technological resources, and financial resources) on business performance, as well as the moderating role of platform participation. The findings reveal that: (1) Technological and financial resources significantly enhance business performance, with greater impact than human resources. (2) Platform participation directly improves business performance and significantly amplifies the marginal effects of human and financial resources on performance, demonstrating clear moderating effects. (3) The moderating effect of platform participation on technological resources is insignificant, which suggests that the performance transformation of technological resources relies more on their inherent codifiability and diffusibility, and platforms serve primarily as support.

Through case studies, the study reveals the dynamic mechanism by which platforms assist SMEs in overcoming resource constraints and achieving huge growth through three pathways: technological collaboration, human capital empowerment, and financial optimization. The study also employs multiple robustness tests, including principal component analysis and cluster-robust standard error estimation, to ensure the reliability of its findings.

The study not only extends the explanatory scope of resource-based theory (RBT) in digital contexts but also delineates a pathway for enhancing business performance through resource-platform synergy. It contributes substantial empirical support to RBV and offers practical decision-making tools for SMEs to accurately position themselves and optimize resource allocation in the platform economy. Governments and platforms can leverage these insights to refine policy design and service mechanisms as well as facilitate SMEs’ effective integration into digital ecosystems and their attainment of sustained competitive advantages.

Keywords

SMEs, resource characteristics, platform participation, business performance

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Business Administration (Accounting and Finance)

Discipline

Accounting | Finance and Financial Management

Supervisor(s)

WANG, Jiwei; GENG, Xuesong

First Page

1

Last Page

203

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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