Can family CEOs promote enterprises’ digital transformation? An analysis based on ability-willingness paradox

It is crucial to investigate the characteristics of digital transformation strategy decision-making in family businesses. In this paper, the Chinese A-share listed family enterprises on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2008 to 2020 are used as a sample to analyze at how the CEO source affects the enterprises’ digital transformation and how the CEO ability and family willingness affect the boundary conditions of the decision-making. According to the findings of the study, family CEOs are more capable of promoting the digital transformation of family businesses. Whether it is general human capital obtained through formal education or firm-specific human capital obtained through work experience, they all positively moderate the relationship between family CEOs and enterprises’ digital transformation decisions. Surprisingly, family control and influence have no moderating effect, which may be due to the superimposition of the willingness to pursue growth, whereas the willingness to pursue transgenerational sustainability is a negative moderator, indicating that family businesses in China are still in the early stages of succession. This study not only uncovers the disparities in the impacts of different types of CEOs on the digital transformation of family businesses, but also provides empirical evidence and managerial implications for fostering the family businesses’ digital transformation.