2.4.1 Knowledge transfer and digital transformation.

In the process of digital transformation, knowledge is crucial for firms to understand new consumption patterns, supply, and demand, use knowledge extraction tools effectively, and invest in appropriate digital technology products or services. However, many traditional firms have significant deficiencies in their digital technology and managerial knowledge. Klein, in his SWOT analysis of digital transformation in SMEs in the context of the New Crown Epidemic, identifies a lack of managerial and technological knowledge, as well as a loss of knowledge, as important disadvantages faced by SMEs when undergoing digital transformation. These firms usually lack the expertise to exploit the technological potential of digital transformation, managers have a poor understanding of how to apply digital solutions to business processes, and employees lack the ability to integrate different digital tools effectively, which results in a lack of the skills required to undertake large-scale transformation projects [28].

Further, SMEs tend to focus only on short-term planning, with information technology (IT) management concentrated more at the operational level than at the strategic level. This situation makes enterprises relatively weak in terms of the accumulation of infrastructure, tools, and technologies, thus affecting their ability to acquire and integrate new knowledge [29]. In addition, traditional enterprises have many deficiencies in knowledge management, often managing only tacit knowledge and lacking the systematic management of explicit knowledge. This situation makes enterprises highly dependent on the tacit knowledge of key employees, and the loss of these key employees greatly weakens the knowledge base and competitiveness of enterprises.

In this context, companies’ digital transformation must rely on a rich knowledge base, and traditional companies can acquire the new knowledge they need through knowledge transfer. According to Crupi et al., acquiring new knowledge is an important prerequisite for successful digital transformation of enterprises [30]. Through knowledge transfer, enterprises can access both digital technical expertise and managerial knowledge, along with the practical experience essential for achieving successful digital transformation and the innovative thinking required to drive digital initiatives within the organization [31]. The transfer of knowledge related to digital transformation expands enterprises’ knowledge repository. By leveraging this acquired knowledge internally, enterprises can enhance decision-making capabilities, elevate digital technology and managerial competencies, and effectively propel the enterprise through the digital transformation process.

By highlighting the relationship between knowledge transfer and digital transformation, it is clear that knowledge transfer is the basis for achieving digital transformation. This study proposes the following hypothesis:

1. H1. knowledge transfer positively affects digital transformation

2.4.2 Knowledge transfer and dynamic capabilities.

In today’s highly competitive environment, knowledge transfer can significantly enhance an organization’s core competencies. Organizations that excel at knowledge transfer are better able to survive and thrive in volatile markets than those that are not skilled. This is mainly due to the fact that knowledge transfer increases the flexibility of organisations, thus enhancing the ability of firms to adapt to changes in the external environment, i.e. dynamic capabilities. Knowledge transfer usually occurs when there is a knowledge potential gap between firms, and acquiring external knowledge and creating new knowledge helps firms maintain and enhance their dynamic capabilities [32].

Nowadays, it is often difficult for enterprises to meet the changing needs of their existing knowledge, and creating new knowledge on their own is not only costly, but also has a long lead time, so they cannot respond to rapid changes in the external environment in a timely manner. The main channel for organizations to acquire knowledge is often from external sources, and effective knowledge transfer can significantly increase the amount of knowledge and optimize the knowledge structure of the organization. As the main method to optimize the knowledge structure, knowledge transfer directly affects and enhances the dynamic capabilities of an organization [15]. Access to up-to-date digital information and knowledge enables firms to be more sensitive to changes in digital technology and markets, and thus, effectively integrates resources to adapt to the dynamic external environment. Consequently, knowledge transfer effectively enhances an enterprise’s dynamic capabilities by updating its knowledge structure and stock.

Many scholars have shown that knowledge transfer can, to a certain extent, promote the formation and development of enterprises’ dynamic capabilities. The evolution of dynamic capabilities is based on knowledge; knowledge transfer plays a guiding role in this process. Li et al. pointed out that knowledge sharing provides enterprises with redundant resources and potential for change, which is the basis and key to the development of dynamic capabilities [18]. Because dynamic capabilities are those developed by enterprises to adapt to rapidly changing environments and existing knowledge is often unable to meet such needs, their construction needs to rely on new knowledge resources and need to be continuously updated to reflect environmental changes. Updating the organizational knowledge structure through knowledge transfer is the primary way to build dynamic capabilities. Peng et al. suggested that knowledge transfer positively affects dynamic capabilities through the mediation of organizational learning [16].

In the context of digitization, a firm’s ability to capture resources, process digital information, and reconfigure it is particularly important. Yin and Shi state that capture ability is embodied in the embedding of processed digital information into the activities of the various organisational processes [33]. In contrast, the reconstructive ability of the organization is the basis for continuous strategic design and flexible governance structures that enable the organization to respond in a timely manner to rapidly changing environments [6]. In addition, digital knowledge not only enhances the digital hardware and software of an organization but also fosters its digital management capabilities [34]. Consequently, enterprises can leverage knowledge transfer to reshape their knowledge structure, establish a resource foundation for dynamic capabilities, and foster them to a certain extent.

Based on the aforementioned analysis, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

1. H2. knowledge transfer positively affects perceived ability
2. H3. knowledge transfer positively affects capture ability
3. H4. knowledge transfer positively affects reconstructive ability

2.4.3 Dynamic capabilities and digital transformation.

Currently, with the age of rapidly evolving digital technologies, the pace of change in an organization’s external environment has accelerated, resulting in digital transformation facing an environment very different from that of a typical strategic change. It is, therefore, particularly important to have dynamic capabilities to support businesses in responding to these environmental changes, which include the ability to be keenly aware of new digital opportunities and threats, as well as to reconfigure the organization’s resources and capabilities. In this dynamic and unpredictable marketplace, businesses must be flexible, specifically, they need to: (1) allow for frequent changes in organisational roles; (2) respond to changing customer needs and introduce new digital technologies; and (3) respond effectively to increased competition as market boundaries blur and barriers to entry are lowered [35].

Digital transformation presents unique challenges for organizations, which not only need to balance the development of existing functionality but also build new digital functionality that is compatible with past path dependencies [14]. Against this backdrop, digital transformation changes business models, business processes, and organizational structures, and enterprises need dynamic capabilities to cope with rapid changes in technology and markets, as they face the dilemma of blending and converging the old with the new. To achieve digital transformation, enterprises must recombine digital resources with other organizational resources to change their businesses [24].

By leveraging the new digital knowledge gained, dynamic capabilities can help enterprises sense and seize market opportunities brought about by digital technologies so that they can deploy resources to update products, services, or processes, and adjust organizational strategies to balance conflicts that may arise during the transformation process [31]. Specifically, awareness capabilities enable organizations to identify the latest digital trends or new user needs, build the digital skills required to enable digital transformation, and anticipate and respond to changes in user needs. Capture ability enables organizations to quickly identify and respond to potential opportunities and threats by efficiently dispatching resources to seize opportunities and meet demand, which in turn requires organizations to actively build digital capture capabilities to enhance digital agility [9].

In the process of realizing their digital strategies, enterprises not only need to develop sensing and capturing capabilities but also need to reconfigure their capabilities to drive organizational change. In the context of the digital economy, reconfiguration capabilities support the digital transformation of enterprises, which can be strategically driven by building internal and external digital ecological networks and implementing digital architectural changes [31]. The presence of reconfiguration capabilities ensures that organizations are able to sustain strategic change, thereby adapting to a rapidly changing environment and facilitating continuous strategic renewal during digital transformation [8]. Therefore, refactoring capabilities support existing firms in making continuous strategic changes to ensure that the enterprise structure is adapted to a rapidly changing environment, leading to continuous digital strategy renewal during the digital transformation process.

Based on the above analyses, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

1. H5. Perceived ability positively influences digital transformation
2. H6. Capture ability positively influences digital transformation
3. H7. Reconstructive ability positively influences digital transformation

2.4.4 Mediating role of dynamic capabilities.

Although hypotheses H5, H6 and H7 reveal the direct impact of dynamic capabilities on digital transformation, these capabilities alone are not sufficient to fully explain the mechanisms by which firms successfully achieve digital transformation. The role of knowledge transfer in this process cannot be ignored. To gain a deeper understanding of how knowledge transfer affects the digital transformation of a firm, mediating variables are introduced: perception capability, capture ability, and reconfiguration capability. These mediating variables act as bridges between knowledge transfer and digital transformation.

Dynamic capability is the ability of an enterprise to continuously adapt to the external environment owing to its complexity and volatility [5]. This capability covers not only the perception of the external environment but also the capture of new opportunities, integration, and reconstruction of resources to improve the competitive advantage of the enterprise. In the process of digital transformation, dynamic capability becomes an important means of coping with changes in the external environment and conflicts within an enterprise. By continuously strengthening dynamic capabilities, enterprises can continuously maintain competitive advantages in digital transformation, thus promoting the in-depth implementation of transformation [36]. Dynamic capabilities enable enterprises to maintain their competitive advantages in digital transformation and thus continuously drive digital transformation.

Knowledge, as an important resource of enterprises, can help enterprises accurately and clearly grasp external market and environmental changes, and many scholars take knowledge resources as the driving force for the formation of dynamic capabilities [37]. Knowledge transfer can enhance dynamic capabilities, and the process of knowledge transfer is a process of dynamic capability evolution. Li et al. pointed out that knowledge transfer enhances dynamic capabilities and that knowledge transfer itself is a process of dynamic capability evolution [2]. Firms with complementary knowledge, experience, and skills are more likely to successfully perceive and capture opportunities as well as reconfigure organizational resources, capabilities, and structures. Thus, firms can enhance their ability to sense and capture knowledge through knowledge transfer in the process of acquiring and applying technological and operational management knowledge.

Specifically, dynamic capabilities alone are not sufficient to fully explain a company’s success in the digital transformation process. Knowledge transfer, as an enabler, plays a crucial role in this process. Therefore, further analysis of the relationship between knowledge transfer and firms’ dynamic capabilities is particularly important for understanding its impact on the digital transformation process. Through knowledge transfer, firms are not only able to acquire information based on changing trends in digital technologies, the degree of digitization of their competitors, and changing trends in the market, but are also able to increase their adaptability to these changes [38]. A higher perceived capacity allows companies to recognize updates in digital technology and management knowledge, which in turn enhances their responsiveness to market opportunities and improves their ability to capture them [32]. This process accelerates the digital transformation of enterprises, enabling them to respond more effectively to cyclical changes in markets and technologies.

Therefore, the ability to reconfigure is another key element in the digital transformation of enterprises. The wealth of knowledge and information provided by knowledge transfer enables enterprises to adapt their organizational structures and processes in a timely manner to the changing market and technological environment [11]. This enhanced capability drives enterprises’ digital transformation and ensures their competitiveness and agility in a dynamic environment. Thus, this study proposes the following hypotheses:

1. H8. Perceived ability has a mediating effect between knowledge transfer and digital transformation
2. H9. Capture ability has a mediating effect between knowledge transfer and digital transformation
3. H10. Reconstructive ability mediates the relationship between knowledge transfer and digital transformation.

3.3.1 Measurement of knowledge transfer.

In this study, knowledge transfer is defined as the process through which enterprises acquire digital technical and management knowledge from digital platforms or other organizations, including user needs analysis and best practices in digital transformation, and apply this knowledge to practice. Based on the research results and scale design of Huang and Wu et al. [9, 37], this paper specifies “knowledge” is specified as “knowledge related to digital transformation” for measuring the variable of enterprise knowledge transfer. The test data showed a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.889 for the Knowledge Transfer Scale, indicating its high reliability and suitability for further application.

3.3.2 Measurement of dynamic capabilities.

After sorting out the related studies on dynamic capabilities, and taking into account the characteristics of knowledge transfer and digital transformation, we classified dynamic capabilities into three dimensions, namely perceived ability, capture ability and reconstructive ability, by drawing on the studies of Teece [6], Huang [37], and Peng et al. [16]. When setting up the dynamic ability measurement items, the reference scales were collated by referring to the mature scales used in the studies by Huang et al. and which have been empirically tested [9, 37]. The measurement scales for perception ability, capture ability, and reconstruction ability were obtained. The total Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the mediator variable dynamic capabilities scale was 0.872, and the Cronbach’s ɑ coefficients of the three dimensions were 0.918, 0.885, and 0.871.

3.3.3 Measurement of digital transformation.

Scholars assess digital transformation in terms of technology application, strategy, organizational structure, management, teams, and leadership [18]. Wu et al. collated the research lineage of digital transformation-related literature and classified digital transformation into five categories: products, services, processes, models, and organizations [9]. Kamalaldin et al. argued that the outputs of digital transformation of an enterprise include the innovation of products, services and processes [12]. Bringing in the test data from this study yielded a total Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.887 for the dependent variable, Digital Transformation Scale. Therefore, the scale used in this study has a high level of reliability and can be further applied to this study.

4.4.1 Modeling analysis.

In this study, the proposed hypotheses were tested through a structural equation modeling approach using AMOS software. First, based on the hypothetical model, a structural equation modeling diagram was drawn using AMOS software, as shown in Fig 2.

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Fig 2. Structural equation model.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311176.g002

4.4.2 Model fit test.

Before verifying whether the paths and assumptions are valid, the model type fit should be verified, which means that the structural equation model is reasonable and able to carry out the next step of hypothesis testing; if not qualified, it must be recorded. The specific model fits are listed in Table 8.

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Table 8. Structural equation model fitting results.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311176.t008

As can be seen from the results of the model test, all the indicators reached the model fit standard: the X²/df value is 1.033, which is much smaller than 3; the RMSEA value is 0.013, which is also smaller than 0.08; the RMR value is 0.041, which is smaller than 0.05; the GFI value is 0.938, the CFI value is 0.998, and the NFI value is 0.949, which is larger than 0.9. All indicators met the standard requirements, indicating that the structural validity of the sample scale was very good, the overall model fit was high, and its fitting results were acceptable.

4.4.3 Test of model hypothesis.

As can be seen from the above table, the model fitness indicators all meet the recommended standards. The model as a whole has good structural validity and can be tested for hypotheses; the path coefficients between the variables are shown in Table 9 below.

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Table 9. Path coefficient test table.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311176.t009

The path coefficient test revealed that knowledge transfer significantly positively affected perceived ability (0.282, p<0.001), capture ability (0.478, p<0.001), and reconstructive ability (0.678, p<0.001). Additionally, knowledge transfer had a positive effect on digital transformation, with a path coefficient of 0.195 (p<0.05). Furthermore, perceived ability (0.115, p<0.05), capture ability (0.269, p<0.001), and reconstructive ability (0.404, p<0.001) positively influenced digital transformation. Thus, hypotheses H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, and H7 were validated and supported.

4.4.4 Mediation effect test.

This study applies a sample size of 2000 using Bootstrap sampling to generate confidence intervals at a 95% confidence level. This verifies the mediation effects by using the Bias-Corrected Bootstrap method. A significant direct effect was confirmed if the direct effect confidence interval did not include 0, whereas a significant mediation effect was validated if the indirect effect confidence interval did not include 0. If the direct effect includes 0 but the indirect effect does not, the variable is considered to be a full mediator. The specific mediating effects of each variable and its mediation relationship test are presented in Table 10.

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Table 10. Mediation effect test.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311176.t010

According to the table above, the indirect and direct effects of the three paths do not contain 0. Therefore, it can be concluded that perception capability partially mediates knowledge transfer and digital transformation; capture ability partially mediates knowledge transfer and digital transformation; and reconstructive ability partially mediates knowledge transfer and digital transformation. Thus, hypotheses H8, H9, and H10 were validated and supported.

5.2.1 Knowledge transfer and digital transformation.

Knowledge transfer significantly and positively affects enterprises’ digital transformation. This finding aligns with research conducted by Linde [14], indicating that acquiring and implementing knowledge related to digital technology and operations management can elevate the extent and quality of digital transformation within enterprises. It facilitates the increased utilization of digital technology across various facets of operations management, marketing services, and manufacturing; boosts employees’ grasp of digital transformation; and supports efficient digital process management within enterprises.

Further literature review shows that the digital transformation of enterprises is a complex process covering new product development, organizational change, business process improvement, management concept update, and business model innovation, reflecting a profound change at the strategic level. The complexity of this process requires enterprises to attach great importance to the acquisition and application of knowledge during the transformation process to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital era. Traditional business models and ways of thinking often fail to meet the requirements of the current market environment [3, 11, 15]. Therefore, enterprises must prioritize acquiring and leveraging knowledge in digitalization, recognizing that traditional business models and practices may be inadequate in the digital era.

Compared with previous studies, many scholars have realized the critical role of knowledge in digital transformation, addressing how knowledge can drive innovation and resilience in firms [12, 15, 24]. Kraus et al. pointed out that the enhancement of digital technology capabilities is closely related to the overall strategy of the firm, and knowledge transfer plays a mediating role in this process [38]. These studies corroborate our findings, suggesting that in today’s business environment, knowledge transfer is not only an enabler of digital transformation but also a foundation for achieving long-term competitive advantage for firms.

In conclusion, this study deepens our understanding of the importance of knowledge transfer in digital transformation strategies by empirically supporting the impact of knowledge transfer on corporate digital transformation. This not only provides a foundation for the construction of the theory but also practical guidelines for enterprises in the process of implementing digital transformation. Only by continuously strengthening knowledge transfer can enterprises occupy a favorable position in the changes of the digital economy era to successfully achieve the goal of digital transformation.

5.2.2 Knowledge transfer and dynamic capabilities.

Knowledge transfer significantly and positively affects an enterprise’s dynamic capabilities (perceived, capture, and reconstructive ability). This is in line with the findings of most scholars on teaching style and learning engagement of university teachers [3, 28, 31]. They emphasized the impact of teachers’ teaching styles on learning engagement, reflecting the importance of knowledge transfer in educational contexts. Extending this theory to the corporate environment, it can be seen that knowledge transfer has an equally positive impact on perceived, captured and restructuring capabilities. Knowledge transfer can significantly increase a firm’s knowledge stock, which forms the basis for renewing and upgrading organizational capabilities.

A firm’s knowledge structure, that is, the way its knowledge is composed and organized, is directly determined by its knowledge stock. A good knowledge structure helps firms perceive and capture market opportunities and threats more effectively, and provides a rational approach to resource reallocation [25]. As mentioned by Peng et al., organizations must have flexible perception mechanisms to identify potential opportunities and risks in a timely manner in a rapidly changing digital environment [16].

By acquiring knowledge and utilizing it in the knowledge transfer process, enterprises have heterogeneous digital knowledge that they originally lacked, which provides rich information for them to perceive changes in the digital environment and enhance their perceived ability, integrate and reconfigure the acquired knowledge with the organization’s original knowledge, and apply it to the enterprise’s digitalization practices. This improves workflows and practices, enhances the enterprise’s capture capabilities, promotes change and reconstruction of the enterprise, and strengthens its reconstructive ability [30].

In summary, the positive impact of knowledge transfer is manifested at multiple levels: it not only improves the perceived and captured capabilities of the enterprise but also fundamentally contributes to the reconstructive ability of the enterprise. The results of this research, combined with existing theoretical foundations, provide strong support for companies to develop strategies and tactics for digital transformation.

5.2.3 Dynamic capabilities and digital transformation.

Dynamic capabilities (perceived ability, capture ability, and reconstructive ability) exhibit significant positive impacts on digital transformation. This outcome aligns with the consensus among the majority of scholars both domestically and internationally [3, 5, 30]. Studies have shown that perceived ability enables enterprises to identify potential digital opportunities and threats in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, discern user needs, and adapt to environmental changes.

Perceived ability enables firms to identify potential digital opportunities and threats in complex and changing market environments. The perceived ability of firms not only helps them understand the changing needs of users, but also facilitates a keen grasp of industry trends. This capability enables firms to react faster and adjust their strategies to adapt to the requirements of a dynamic market. Capture ability, on the other hand, is key for firms to use the information gained from perceptions to act quickly. For example, Yang argued that firms with strong capture capabilities can effectively integrate knowledge resources and embed this knowledge into their daily operational processes [39]. This capability is essential to ensure that firms respond quickly to market demands and external changes, thereby avoiding lost opportunities. Reconfiguration capabilities form the basis of continuous innovation. By reconfiguring the organizational structure, firms can manage change more effectively and continue to innovate in process management and business models. Yin highlighted that reconfiguration capabilities enable firms to respond flexibly to changes in their internal and external environments, which in turn drives the success of their digital transformation [33].

In conjunction with previous research, it can be seen that perceiving, capturing, and reconstructing abilities form a dynamic capability framework that is essential for enterprises in the digital transformation process. This framework provides firms with competitive advantage in a rapidly changing digital economy. For example, Teece further elaborates on the concept of dynamic capabilities by highlighting the importance of organizations’ sustained competitiveness through sensing, capturing, and reconfiguring resources under changing market conditions [6].

In summary, perceived, captured, and reconstructive abilities play an important role in digital transformation. This not only matches existing research but also adds empirical support to the theoretical framework. By strengthening these capabilities, companies can adapt more effectively to changes in the digital environment and drive their own digital transformation and innovation. These findings provide an important reference point for companies when formulating their digital strategies, suggesting that the construction of dynamic capabilities is crucial in today’s competitive and ever-changing marketplaces.

5.2.4 Mediating role of dynamic capabilities.

Dynamic capabilities have a mediating role between knowledge transfer and digital transformation [15, 24, 38]. This finding is not only a deepening of the theoretical framework but is also in line with many national and international researchers, emphasizing the important role that dynamic capabilities play in this process.

First, the digital transformation process requires firms to actively update their knowledge resources. Knowledge transfer provides an important knowledge and information base for firms to build dynamic capabilities by facilitating knowledge sharing. As Li et al. point out, firms’ dynamic capabilities need to be built on rich knowledge resources to quickly identify and adapt to market changes [18]. In this context, perceived ability helps firms gain insight into the implications of advanced digital technologies and best practices, enabling them to capture potential digital opportunities in a timely manner.

Second, dynamic capabilities not only enable enterprises to cope with complex market environments but also lead them to reconfigure their knowledge resources and redefine their business models. By effectively integrating and utilizing internal and external knowledge, firms can better understand the changes in customer needs. For example, Crupi highlighted that dynamic capabilities essentially facilitate firms’ digital transformation by sensing and capturing digital opportunities and reconfiguring organizational structures [30]. The study argues that knowledge transfer is the cornerstone of building dynamic capabilities, providing organizations with the necessary resources and support in an evolving business environment.

Additionally, dynamic capabilities can help firms mitigate the risks of digital transformation. Through enhanced sensing and capturing capabilities, enterprises can more clearly identify market trends and potential threats so that they can make targeted institutional and strategic adjustments [16]. This enables enterprises to respond more flexibly in the face of uncertainty, thus ensuring the success of digital transformation.

In summary, knowledge transfer drives enterprises’ digital transformation by enhancing their dynamic capabilities. This process provides a clear path for enterprises to enhance their sensing, capturing, and reconfiguring capabilities through effective knowledge transfer in order to successfully implement digital transformation. This finding is not only consistent with previous research findings but also provides a valuable reference for enterprises in the process of strategy formulation and implementation.

5.3.1 Theoretical significance.

This study fills the research gap between knowledge transfer and dynamic capabilities, proposes a new theoretical model of ‘Knowledge Transfer-Dynamic Capabilities-Digital Transformation,’ and explores how knowledge transfer affects the effect of digital transformation by enhancing dynamic capabilities. Second, it further subdivided dynamic capabilities into sensing, capturing, and reconfiguring capabilities, thus enhancing the applicability of the theory in empirical research and helping to reveal how to effectively implement knowledge transfer in the process of digital transformation to improve the success rate. Second, it further subdivided dynamic capabilities into perception, capture, and reconstruction capabilities, which enhances the applicability of the theory in empirical research, thus helping to reveal how knowledge transfer can be effectively implemented to improve the success rate of transformation in the process of digital transformation. Finally, the study emphasizes that knowledge transfer is not only a way of acquiring resources but also an important source of motivation to enhance the dynamic capabilities of the enterprise, suggesting that academics should pay attention to the key role of knowledge resources in the adjustment of the enterprise’s strategy and promote the in-depth development of subsequent research in this field.

5.3.2 Practical significance.

First, this study provides strategic guidance for the digital transformation of enterprises, emphasizing that enterprises should proactively focus on the acquisition and application of external digital resources and enhance their dynamic capabilities through effective knowledge transfer to better cope with complex market environments. Second, the study points out the key role of knowledge transfer in constructing the dynamic capabilities of enterprises and suggests that enterprises should establish a good knowledge management mechanism in the process of digital transformation to promote internal and external knowledge flow and integration, thus improving innovation capability and market adaptability. Third, considering the flexibility of enterprises in acquiring knowledge for digital transformation, this study also provides suggestions for knowledge transfer methods and tools in practice, such as establishing external cooperation networks and using digital platforms for knowledge sharing, to help enterprises implement knowledge transfer more effectively and support their digital transformation process.