Employee domain and non-financial performance: the moderating effect of digital reputation

Purpose The purpose of this study is to extend existing knowledge in corporate sustainability (CS) and digitalization literature. Innovation strategies (namely, exploration, exploitation and ambidexterity) are used to identify an innovative employee domain that influences a firm’s non-financial performance. Digital reputation – i.e. the set of stakeholders’ sentiments toward the company’s digital footprint – is observed as a moderating variable able to explain where and when the innovative employee domain impacts the non-financial performance. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of firms listed on the Fortune 500 list in the period 2015–2018, this study pursued both a qualitative and quantitative analysis. First, content analysis is carried out through a non-financial report-based operational model to operationalize the innovative domain. Second, a regression and moderator analysis are conducted on optimized panel data. Findings Consistent with previous literature, the results show that the employee domain positively impacts a firm’s non-financial performance. It was found that digital reputation operates as a moderator in this relationship. Originality/value This study contributes to the theoretical debate on CS by introducing a new concept relevant to an employee domain of exploration, exploitation and ambidexterity. It enriches the innovation debate by providing a new perspective on how firms can balance exploratory and exploitative innovation strategies in the employee domain to enhance non-financial performance. Finally, it provides a novel definition of digital reputation.