94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Manuf. Technol.
Sec. Digital Manufacturing
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmtec.2025.1495840
Overcoming Digital Transformation Barriers: Chinese SMMEs in the Sharing Economy
Provisionally accepted- 1Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 2Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Hangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
This study explores the pivotal role of digital transformation for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises (SMMEs) within China's dynamic sharing economy, using a case study approach rooted in the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory to propose innovative strategies with multiplier effects for global economic resilience and industrial innovation. Despite supportive Chinese policies promoting digital adoption in manufacturing, SMMEs face barriers like technological limitations, organizational inertia, and cultural resistance; we collected data from a Chinese elevator industry SME via financial records (2015-2022), interviews with digitalization staff, and site visits, analyzed through quantitative financial metrics (e.g., profit growth) and qualitative thematic analysis to evaluate transformation outcomes. By integrating sharing economy platforms (data-sharing systems, chain-hosting models, and industry-specific collaborations), this research offers a pioneering framework that not only equips Chinese SMMEs with critical resources, expertise, and technologies but also provides a scalable blueprint for international SMMEs to boost competitiveness, stimulate regional economic growth, and advance high-quality development, as evidenced by our case study findings, contributing actionable insights for policymakers and managers worldwide.
Keywords: digital transformation, High-quality development, Sharing economy, SMMEs, Manufacturing industry, case study
Received: 13 Sep 2024; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xiaosheng, Hua, Zhang, AL-BUKHAITI and Wan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: KHALIL AL-BUKHAITI, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, Zhejiang Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.