Differentiated effects of the acquisition of digital knowledge and digitalization on the Peruvian service firm’s performance
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Abstract
The acquisition of digital knowledge is recognized as a key enabler of a firm’s digitalization, and these capabilities contribute to achieving its overall performance. Knowledge-intensive business services play a complementary role in supporting this strategy. Understanding how these processes are implemented in developing economies and across firms of varying sizes is especially relevant. This article provides empirical evidence on the relationship between the acquisition of digital knowledge, digitalization, and firm performance in Peru’s service firms. Based on the Ordinary Least Squares regression applied to data from 2,834 Peruvian service firms from National Enterprises Survey in 2019, the study identifies differentiated effects by firm size. Findings show that the combination of training in digital tools and digitalization strategies significantly enhances sales, particularly in micro firms, and productivity, mainly for large firms. In addition, SMEs face greater challenges in converting digitalization into sales and productivity, due to lower digital maturity and limited strategic emphasis. The study also highlights the distinct contributions of KIBS, especially in microenterprises. In a developing country context, where digital strategies are still emerging, these findings help distinguish their effects on sales and productivity and identify opportunities for both business management and policy design to foster digital strategies.
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