The impact of digital transformation on the sustainable value chain through governance and organizational learning in businesses: An application on exporting companies

In recent years, rapid developments and advances in digital technologies have significantly affected the core business operations, processes and strategies of companies. Companies undergoing a widespread digital transformation process are experiencing changes in the way they create and deliver value (Kraus et al., 2022). Especially in traditional companies, creating sustainable value depends on the continuous and effective adaptation and renewal of the company's core business model (Achtenhagen et al., 2013). Digital transformation provides improvements in many areas in terms of increasing the efficiency of companies, ensuring efficiency in transportation and distribution processes and optimizing logistics resources (Junge and Straube, 2020). Some researchers argue that businesses that adapt to the digitalization process and attach importance to technological transformation in all their processes have reduced negative effects on the environment. It has also been concluded that these businesses significantly reduce carbon emissions and contribute to sustainability. It is emphasized that another element that contributes to sustainability activities is governance. The concept of governance provides guidance on how the chain will be managed, coordinated and controlled in businesses that base all their activities in the value chain on the principle of sustainability. How resources will be distributed in the sustainable value chain and the relationships between stakeholders in the chain are determined by the governance structure. Obtaining or producing, distributing and evaluating the information needed by the organization in all these processes is possible through organizational learning. Additionally, organizations that perform organizational learning can produce sustainable solutions. Considered from this perspective, it can be seen in the relevant literature that digital transformation allows activities in the value chain of businesses to be carried out in a way that minimizes or eliminates damage to the environment, and governance and organizational learning support this process. In this context, the study aims to measure the mediating effect of governance and organizational learning on the impact of digital transformation on the sustainable value chain. The research universe consists of managers/directors and business owners/partners employed in export companies operating in Turkey. The survey data was obtained by communicating face-to-face and one-on-one with people in relevant positions via LinkedIn. Only 393 of the surveys distributed in line with the research were answered. In the analysis of the data obtained with the survey technique, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability, homogeneity and correlation tests were conducted using IBM Statistic SPSS 23 and AMOS 23 package programs, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. A model was created in the research based on the theoretical information in the literature. Structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses in the conceptual model. The mediating role of governance and organizational learning in the impact of digital transformation on the sustainable value chain was analyzed with the structural equation model. In the light of the data obtained as a result of the structural equation model analysis; It was concluded that digital transformation has a positive and significant effect on sustainable value chain, governance and organizational learning, governance has a positive and significant effect on sustainable value chain, organizational learning does not have a significant effect on sustainable value chain, governance and organizational learning have a mediating effect on the effect of digital transformation on sustainable value chain and this effect is significant. The study contributes to the literature in terms of being based on the most up-to-date data and examining different variables affecting the sustainable value chain.