Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study

Smart manufacturing is an important initiative to promote the transformation and upgrading of industries and the high-quality development of the economy. However, the current situation of digitalized smart transformation in manufacturing enterprises is not optimistic, which is primarily attributed t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chenguang Li, Jingtong Gong, Tao Fu, Zhiguo Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/12/577
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850238928588636160
author Chenguang Li
Jingtong Gong
Tao Fu
Zhiguo Liang
author_facet Chenguang Li
Jingtong Gong
Tao Fu
Zhiguo Liang
author_sort Chenguang Li
collection DOAJ
description Smart manufacturing is an important initiative to promote the transformation and upgrading of industries and the high-quality development of the economy. However, the current situation of digitalized smart transformation in manufacturing enterprises is not optimistic, which is primarily attributed to the ambiguity surrounding the pathways. This study is based on the technology-organization-environment-individual (TOE-I) analytical framework; it selects 20 case studies of advanced manufacturing enterprises; and employs case studies and necessary condition fuzzy set qualitative comparative research methods (NCA and fsQCA) to investigate the pathways through which technology, organization, the environment, and individual microelements synergistically drive smart manufacturing from a configurational perspective. The study reveals that digital technology breakthroughs, digital infrastructure, digital talent, digital sharing, organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are the core influencing factors in advancing smart manufacturing for manufacturing enterprises, and four implementation paths driven by smart manufacturing are analyzed. Among them, digital technology breakthroughs and digital infrastructure have a potential substitutive relationship in the “technology + talent” empowerment organizational model. Organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are important safeguards for successful advancements in smart manufacturing. In contrast, digital infrastructure plays a more indirect, supporting role. Accordingly, this paper provides theoretical reference and practical guidance.
format Article
id doaj-art-7e5c0518df6d430e838326830d528e4c
institution OA Journals
issn 2079-8954
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Systems
spelling doaj-art-7e5c0518df6d430e838326830d528e4c2025-08-20T02:01:19ZengMDPI AGSystems2079-89542024-12-01121257710.3390/systems12120577Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method StudyChenguang Li0Jingtong Gong1Tao Fu2Zhiguo Liang3School of Economics and Management, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, ChinaNational Center for Materials Service Safety, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 102200, ChinaSmart manufacturing is an important initiative to promote the transformation and upgrading of industries and the high-quality development of the economy. However, the current situation of digitalized smart transformation in manufacturing enterprises is not optimistic, which is primarily attributed to the ambiguity surrounding the pathways. This study is based on the technology-organization-environment-individual (TOE-I) analytical framework; it selects 20 case studies of advanced manufacturing enterprises; and employs case studies and necessary condition fuzzy set qualitative comparative research methods (NCA and fsQCA) to investigate the pathways through which technology, organization, the environment, and individual microelements synergistically drive smart manufacturing from a configurational perspective. The study reveals that digital technology breakthroughs, digital infrastructure, digital talent, digital sharing, organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are the core influencing factors in advancing smart manufacturing for manufacturing enterprises, and four implementation paths driven by smart manufacturing are analyzed. Among them, digital technology breakthroughs and digital infrastructure have a potential substitutive relationship in the “technology + talent” empowerment organizational model. Organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are important safeguards for successful advancements in smart manufacturing. In contrast, digital infrastructure plays a more indirect, supporting role. Accordingly, this paper provides theoretical reference and practical guidance.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/12/577smart manufacturingdigitalized smart transformationmicroelementsmanufacturing enterprisescase studyfsQCA
spellingShingle Chenguang Li
Jingtong Gong
Tao Fu
Zhiguo Liang
Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
Systems
smart manufacturing
digitalized smart transformation
microelements
manufacturing enterprises
case study
fsQCA
title Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
title_full Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
title_fullStr Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
title_full_unstemmed Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
title_short Microelement Integration Drives Smart Manufacturing: A Mixed Method Study
title_sort microelement integration drives smart manufacturing a mixed method study
topic smart manufacturing
digitalized smart transformation
microelements
manufacturing enterprises
case study
fsQCA
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/12/12/577
work_keys_str_mv AT chenguangli microelementintegrationdrivessmartmanufacturingamixedmethodstudy
AT jingtonggong microelementintegrationdrivessmartmanufacturingamixedmethodstudy
AT taofu microelementintegrationdrivessmartmanufacturingamixedmethodstudy
AT zhiguoliang microelementintegrationdrivessmartmanufacturingamixedmethodstudy