The Role of Strategic Financial Management in Enhancing Corporate Value and Competitiveness in the Digital Economy
Article Sidebar
-
Strategic Financial Management, Digital Economy, Corporate Value, Digital Transformation, Innovation Culture, Financial Performance
Abstract
This study examines how strategic financial management boosts SMEs' corporate value and competitiveness in the fast-changing digital economy. As digital technologies change market landscapes, SMEs face unique challenges and opportunities in aligning their financial strategies with digital transformation. This mixed-methods study combines quantitative regression analysis with qualitative interviews with senior management from technology, finance, retail, and manufacturing. Quantitative findings from 129 SMEs show a positive correlation between strategic alignment, innovation culture, and corporate value and financial performance, highlighting the complex but crucial role of digital technology investments and risk management. Qualitative insights emphasise the need to align these investments with strategic goals and foster innovation. This study contributes twice. First, it empirically shows how strategic financial management practises help navigate the digital economy, enriching strategic management and finance literature. Second, it advises SMEs to take a holistic approach to strategic financial management that prioritises digital technology investments and ensures they are strategically aligned, culturally ingrained, and risk-averse. This research shows how financial strategy and digital innovation interact to drive SME competitiveness and value creation in the digital age.
Full text article
References
Alexandrova, E. (2020). Digital economy in competitiveness of modern companies. Digital Science 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37737-3_11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37737-3_11
Alexandrova, E., Poddubnaya, M., Shalenaya, K., & Savvidi, S. (2020). Opportunities of the Digital Economy for Achieving Competitive Advantage of Firms. 5th International Conference on Economics, Management, Law and Education (EMLE 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.191225.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.191225.013
Aniqoh, N. A. F. A. (2020). The role of digital economy to enhancing sustainable economic development. International Journal of Social Science and Business, 4(4), 519-527. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijssb.v4i4.28881 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23887/ijssb.v4i4.28881
Bangun, M. F. Y., & Warganegara, D. L. (2023). Effect Of Geopolitical Risk On Bitcoin's Price From 2016-2021: Comparative Analysis Pre-During Covid-19 Pandemic Period. Innovation Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Review, 5(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v5i1.180 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v5i1.180
Carroll, R. F., & Tansey, R. R. (2000). Intellectual capital in the new Internet economy-its meaning, measurement and management for enhancing quality. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(4), 296-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930010359216 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930010359216
Chen, Y., Kumara, E. K., & Sivakumar, V. (2021). Investigation of finance industry on risk awareness model and digital economic growth. Annals of Operations Research, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-04287-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-04287-7
Craffert, L., Ungerer, M., Visser, K., Morrison, J., & Claassen, W. (2014). Strategies, practices and skills for competitiveness in the digital economy: a perspective on large companies in South Africa.
Din, S. M. U., Mehmood, S. K., Shahzad, A., Ahmad, I., Davidyants, A., & Abu-Rumman, A. (2021). The impact of behavioral biases on herding behavior of investors in Islamic financial products. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 600570. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.600570 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.600570
Habakkuk, B. N., Nduati, K. S., & Wang'ombe, K. P. (2023). Macroeconomic Factors, Corporate Governance, Assets Structure, And Firm Value: Nairobi Securities Exchange Kenya. Economía chilena, 18-31. https://doi.org/10.36923/economa.v26i1.229 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/economa.v26i1.229
Hao, X., Wang, X., Wu, H., & Hao, Y. (2023). Path to sustainable development: Does digital economy matter in manufacturing green total factor productivity? Sustainable Development, 31(1), 360-378. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2397 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2397
Ignatiev, P., & Tsyrfa, I. (2022). What Is Behind The Stunning Economic Success Of The Netherlands? The Dutch Economic Miracle: A Strategic Perspective. Innovation Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Review, 4(4), 10-20. https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v4i4.156 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v4i4.156
Kang, S., & Na, Y. K. (2020). Effects of strategy characteristics for sustainable competitive advantage in sharing economy businesses on creating shared value and performance. Sustainability, 12(4), 1397. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041397 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041397
Kozlenkova, I. V., Lee, J.-Y., Xiang, D., & Palmatier, R. W. (2021). Sharing economy: International marketing strategies. Journal of International Business Studies, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00393-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-020-00393-z
Li, K., Kim, D. J., Lang, K. R., Kauffman, R. J., & Naldi, M. (2020). How should we understand the digital economy in Asia? Critical assessment and research agenda. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 44, 101004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2020.101004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2020.101004
Miao, Z. (2021). Digital economy value chain: Concept, model structure, and mechanism. Applied Economics, 53(37), 4342-4357. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2021.1899121 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2021.1899121
Raza, A., Tursoy, T., & Balal, S. A. (2023). Sustainable Working Capital and Financial Performance in Cement Industry of Pakistan: An OLS Approach. Economía chilena, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.36923/economa.v26i1.224 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/economa.v26i1.224
Rivas, A., Verma, R., Rodriguez, A., & Albuquerque, P. H. (2023). Increasing Impact of Spain on the Equity Markets of Brazil, Chile and Mexico During the Neoliberal Reforms of the 1990s. Innovation Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Review, 5(3), 08-20. https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v5i3.224 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v5i3.224
Simões, J. C., Ferreira, F. A., Peris-Ortiz, M., & Ferreira, J. J. (2020). A cognition-driven framework for the evaluation of startups in the digital economy: Adding value with cognitive mapping and rule-based expert systems. Management Decision, 58(11), 2327-2347. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-09-2019-1253 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-09-2019-1253
Skare, M., de Obesso, M. d. l. M., & Ribeiro-Navarrete, S. (2023). Digital transformation and European small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A comparative study using digital economy and society index data. International Journal of Information Management, 68, 102594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102594 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102594
Srinivas, K., & Yasmeen, S. (2017). A study on employee engagement in small and medium enterprises in digital economy. Millennial Workforce-A Contemplation, 57-64.
Zulfiqar, U., Mohy-Ul-Din, S., Abu-Rumman, A., Al-Shraah, A. E., & Ahmed, I. (2020). Insurance-growth nexus: Aggregation and disaggregation. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(12), 665-675. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no12.665 DOI: https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no12.665
Authors
Israr Ahmad
Dr. Israr Ahmad is a dedicated academic and management professional, currently engaged as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Management. With a doctorate from Universiti Utara Malaysia, he has 6 years of combined experience in industry and academia. Dr. Ahmad has made significant contributions to the field with 20 research publications in renowned national and international journals, and actively participates in editorial capacities. His research interests innovation management, strategic management, and organizational development. Committed to using his expertise in education, research, and analytics, Dr. Ahmad aspires to elevate underprivileged communities through advanced management education, advocating for higher enrollment and curriculum modernization in higher education. His post-doctoral work continues to build on his vision of merging research with practical applications to benefit society sustainably.
Copyright (c) 2024 Israr Ahmad

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright / Open Access Policy: This journal provides immediate free open access and is distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This is an open-access journal, which means readers can access it freely. Readers may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles for any lawful purpose without seeking prior permission from the publisher or author. This is consistent with the Budapest Open Access Initiative's (BOAI) definition of open access.
Article Details
How to Cite
Similar Articles
- Syeda Anam Hassan, Inayatul Haq, Alamzeb Aamir, Ihtisham ul Haq, Khalid Zaman, Exploring How Income Inequality, Education, and Policy Shape Energy Access Disparities in Southeast Asia , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 28 No. 2 (2025)
- Anthony Orji, Jovita Nneka Uwakwe, Onyinye Imelda Anthony-Orji, Jonathan Emenike Ogbuabor, Juliana Ngozi Obiorah, Foreign Direct Investment, Capital Flows, and Sectoral Growth in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis of Agriculture and Manufacturing , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 28 No. 2 (2025)
- Anthony Orji, Elis Moses Onoh, Onyinye Imelda Anthony-Orji, Jonathan Emenike Ogbuabor, Oluchi Okoro, Joseph Fanen Akpesue, Tourism, Migration, And Productive Capacity Growth In Sub-Saharan Africa , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 28 No. 2 (2025)
- Njong Mom Aloysius, Ndamsa Dickson Thomas, Abety Paul, Nguena Christian-Lambert, The Impact of School Infrastructure on Academic Performance in Cameroon: Empirical Evidence From Cameroon , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 28 No. 1 (2025)
- Barine Nkonge Habakkuk , Kariuki Samuel Nduati, Kariuki Peter Wang’ombe, Macroeconomic Factors, Corporate Governance, Assets Structure, And Firm Value: Nairobi Securities Exchange Kenya , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)
- Ali Raza, Turgut Tursoy, Erum Shaikh, Mumtaz Ali, Impact of Financial Behavior And Experience on Financial Literacy: A Study of Universities In Pakistan , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 27 No. 1 (2024)
- Ali Raza, Hani Na’el Al- Abdallat , Ahsan-ul-Haq Shaikh, Cash Management: A Key Driver of Performance for Conventional Banks in Pakistan , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)
- Ali Raza, Turgut Tursoy, Sadam Ali Balal, Sustainable Working Capital and Financial Performance in Cement Industry of Pakistan: An OLS Approach* , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 26 No. 1 (2023)
- liu hong, Ashfaque Gilal, Nor Asmat Ismail, Impacts of Technology Finance And Technological Innovation On Economic Growth of Jingjinji Region China , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 27 No. 2 (2024)
- Shuhua Zhang, Impact of Urban Digital Economy on ESG Performance: Do Technological and Business Model Innovation Matter , Innovation Economics Frontiers: Vol. 28 No. 1 (2025)
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.