Abstract:     In the context of a thriving digital economy, digital transformation is gradually becoming a new driving force for economic growth. Entrepreneurial orientation, characterized by innovation, proactiveness and risk-taking, impacts greatly the digital transformation of enterprises. Using a sample of GEM-listed companies from 2015 to 2020, this study employed the multiple linear regression analysis and moderation models to explore the influence mechanism of entrepreneurial orientation on corporate digital transformation. The findings revealed that: (1) The entrepreneurship-oriented strategy significantly enhances the level of digital transformation of enterprises. (2) Both executive power and the average tenure of executives team positively moderate the positive effect of entrepreneurial orientation on corporate digital transformation; the heterogeneity of educational background of the executive team weakens this effect while the heterogeneity of the age of the executive team has no significant impact on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and digital transformation. (3) The positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and digital transformation is influenced by the life cycle of enterprises, with the promoting effect being more significant in the growth and maturity stage of enterprises. This research has expanded the micro-level antecedent study and underlying mechanisms of digital transformation in enterprises, thus providing guidance and reference for promoting digital transformation of enterprises and building digital economy systems.

Key words: digital transformation, entrepreneurial orientation, executive, lifecycle