In the rapidly evolving landscape of global commerce, China’s cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) sector has emerged as a formidable driver of international trade and economic innovation. Recent research navigating the complexities of this domain reveals critical insights into how businesses within this sector can achieve sustained, high-quality development. Employing a sophisticated blend of Competitive Advantage Theory and the Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV), this analysis utilized fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to decode the multifaceted interplay between internal capabilities and external environmental factors. The study, which examined 95 publicly listed Chinese CBEC enterprises, underscores the nuanced combination of strategic drivers necessary for robust growth and innovation in this digital trade arena.
Unlike traditional approaches that might isolate single causal variables, the fsQCA methodology adopted here is adept at capturing configurational causality. The research demonstrates that no single factor is a necessary condition for the high-quality development of CBEC firms. Instead, it highlights the emergence of multiple configurations where different elements’ synergies produce desirable outcomes. This approach acknowledges the heterogeneous nature of cross-border e-commerce firms and the varied pathways through which competitive advantage can be cultivated in environments characterized by volatility and complexity.
A key finding of the study is the paramount importance of market expansion activities. Firms aggressively investing in extending their market reach tend to register superior innovation performance. This emphasis on market penetration aligns with current theories positing that access to diverse international markets accelerates knowledge acquisition, product adaptation, and responsiveness to consumer needs. Coupled with this external thrust, the internal attributes of the workforce—particularly employees’ educational backgrounds—play a significant role. The caliber of human capital, as measured by educational attainment, enhances firms’ absorptive capacity, enabling them to leverage external knowledge and internalize groundbreaking innovations.
Equally pivotal is the role of government financial support, which acts as a catalytic external enabler for high-quality development. Government subsidies, grants, and financial incentives create an environment conducive to investment in advanced technologies, research and development (R&D), and capacity-building initiatives. The policy landscape thus forms a vital pillar in the ecosystem driving the CBEC sector forward, reinforcing the notion that collaboration between private enterprise and public governance is a cornerstone of sustainable growth.
The analytical framework further identified three distinctive strategic configurations associated with successful high-quality development trajectories. The “market expansion driving” configuration underlines the dominance of external market initiatives alongside core competencies within the firm. In contrast, the “core competence—policy driving” configuration emphasizes an internally oriented strategy balanced with proactive leverage of state-level support mechanisms. Lastly, the “external conditions driving” configuration spotlights environmental factors such as foreign trade infrastructure and subsidy intensity as primary growth levers, often compensating for lesser emphasis on internal human capital or marketing capabilities.
Interestingly, the study reveals that product R&D investment, while important, does not independently guarantee high-quality development. In scenarios devoid of robust employee educational backgrounds and effective market expansion strategies, even substantial outlays for research and innovation fail to translate into competitive advantage or sustainable growth. This challenges traditional linear models of innovation diffusion and suggests that coordinated multi-factorial investments are essential. The interconnectedness of marketing prowess, human capital quality, governmental support, and trade infrastructure forms a complex web of enablers critical for CBEC firms.
These findings contribute valuably to academic discourse by bridging Competitive Advantage Theory, which predominantly centers on firm-level capabilities, with the Dynamic Capabilities View, a framework recognizing the importance of adaptability in constantly shifting environments. By synthesizing these perspectives through a configurational lens, the research provides a sophisticated analytical toolset for understanding growth drivers in the unique context of cross-border e-commerce. The emphasis on combinatory effects reflects reality’s complexity, where business success is rarely attributable to isolated factors but rather to the holistic integration of diverse internal competencies and external opportunities.
For practitioners and policymakers alike, these insights offer strategic guidance that can inform investment decisions, talent development initiatives, and policy formulations. CBEC companies are encouraged to enhance their marketing capabilities not merely through more aggressive promotion but by innovating the underlying marketing concepts and strategies—embracing digital transformation, consumer engagement techniques, and international market intelligence. Simultaneously, bolstering human resource development to ensure a highly educated and skilled workforce is imperative, as such talent is the primary conduit for translating market trends into actionable innovations.
Government roles extend beyond passive financial support to include fostering an enabling ecosystem that facilitates foreign trade infrastructure development, creates conducive regulatory frameworks, and encourages knowledge spillovers among firms and research institutions. By orchestrating these elements, policymakers can effectively catalyze high-quality growth in the CBEC sector, positioning China as a dominant player in the global digital economy.
Looking forward, the research explicitly calls for expanding the scope beyond China’s borders to incorporate a broader, more globally representative sample of CBEC enterprises. Such expansion will enable comparative analyses and the identification of universal versus region-specific growth mechanisms. Additionally, developing finer-grained measurement tools is critical for capturing the full spectrum of variables influencing CBEC development—from subtle market signals to emerging technological capabilities.
Overall, the study illuminates the dynamic, multi-layered nature of high-quality development in China’s CBEC sector, advancing both theoretical and practical understandings. By revealing that successful enterprises are those which adeptly configure and integrate diverse factors—market expansion, talent quality, government support, and R&D investments—the research underscores the strategic complexity firms must navigate. This work fosters a richer, more nuanced narrative that transcends simplistic success formulas, instead offering a roadmap aligned with today’s hypercompetitive, rapidly evolving international trade environment.
The implications resonate broadly with the burgeoning digital economy, where the convergence of data-driven insights, technological innovation, and global interconnectedness redefines traditional trade paradigms. For scholars, this research opens new frontiers in studying configurational strategies and dynamic capabilities within e-commerce. For businesses and governments, it provides evidence-based strategies that can be operationalized for cultivating resilient, innovative, and competitive cross-border enterprises.
China’s CBEC sector exemplifies how public-private partnerships, combined with deep investments in human capital and market diversification, can forge paths toward exceptional performance and sustainable growth. As digital trade continues to expand worldwide, the lessons from this research offer valuable templates for emerging and established economies aiming to capitalize on e-commerce’s transformative potential.
The application of fsQCA methodology itself represents an important advancement in strategic management research, particularly in the analysis of complex causality and interdependencies. It challenges researchers to move beyond traditional regression-based techniques to embrace more flexible analytic frameworks capable of grappling with real-world complexity. In doing so, this approach enriches the dialogue between theory and practice, encouraging multifaceted explorations of how firms create and sustain competitive advantage in uncertainty-laden contexts.
Furthermore, by integrating insights across macro-environmental factors and firm-level capabilities, the findings underscore the indispensable role of contextual sensitivity in innovation and development strategies. Recognizing that pathways to success vary and contingent on unique configurations invites companies and regulators to adopt tailored approaches rather than one-size-fits-all models.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking research not only demystifies the conditions conducive to high-quality development of CBEC firms but also charts a course for future investigations poised to deepen our understanding of dynamic market ecosystems. It is a clarion call for continued interdisciplinary inquiry, convergence of theory and practice, and the adoption of configurational thinking as essential for navigating the complexities of the modern digital economy.
Article References:
Li, S., Chen, G., Zhu, J. et al. Empowering China’s cross-border e-commerce: high-quality development explored through fsQCA. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1183 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05551-y
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