Does Religious Atmosphere Affect Enterprise Digital Transformation? Evidence from China

This study examines whether and how religious atmosphere affects enterprise digital transformation. We find religious atmosphere is significantly negatively associated with digital transformation. We also find religion inhibits digital transformation through strengthening risk aversion and weakening innovation consciousness. Additional results show that the effect of religion on enterprise digital transformation is significant primarily in firms with fewer senior executives affiliated with the CPC and managers who possess less conservative personalities. The inhibiting effect is more pronounced for non-state-owned firms and firms with lower institutional ownership. Moreover, the significant effect only exists in areas with lower market competition and weaker government intervention. Moreover, indigenous religious tradition attenuates the positive impact of digital transformation on firm productivity. Overall, our findings provide insights for understanding the role of religion, as an informal institution, in firms’ decision-making in emerging markets.