<?xml version="1.1" encoding="utf-8"?>
<article xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.1/xsd/JATS-journalpublishing1-mathml3.xsd" dtd-version="1.1" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">PBES</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Proceedings of Business and Economic Studies</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn>2209-2641</issn><eissn>2209-265X</eissn><publisher><publisher-name>Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.26689/pbes.v9i4.14943</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title>The Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate Financing Constraints: Based on the Mediating Effect of Internal Control</title><url>https://artdesignp.com/journal/PBES/9/4/10.26689/pbes.v9i4.14943</url><author>BaiYinfeng,ChenYuheng,WangJiani</author><pub-date pub-type="publication-year"><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>9</volume><issue>4</issue><history><date date-type="pub"><published-time>2026-06-03</published-time></date></history><abstract>Based on an empirical model, this paper examines the impact mechanism of digital transformation on corporate financing constraints, with a focus on testing the mediating role of internal control. The results show that digital transformation can significantly alleviate corporate financing constraints, where internal control plays a critical mediating and bridging role. Specifically, digital transformation indirectly eases corporate financing pressure by improving the quality of internal control. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the above alleviation effect is more pronounced in non-state-owned enterprises and enterprises in the eastern region of China. In contrast, no significant short-term effect is observed in high-tech enterprises, due to the high investment and uncertainty associated with their transformation process. Based on the findings, the government should further improve the policy environment to promote the coordinated development of corporate digital transformation and internal control. Enterprises also need to strengthen the construction of internal control to fully capture the financing convenience brought by digital transformation.</abstract><keywords/></article-meta></front><body/><back><ref-list><ref id="B1" content-type="article"><label>1</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Wu F, Hu H, Lin H, et al., 2021, Enterprise Digital Transformation and Capital Market Performance: Empirical Evidence from Stock Liquidity (in Chinese). Management World, 37(7): 130–144.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B2" content-type="article"><label>2</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhang L, Sheng T, 2022, Digital Transformation of Small and Micro Enterprises and Financing Constraints: Theoretical Mechanism and Empirical Facts (in Chinese). Lanzhou Academic Journal, 2022(11): 142–160.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B3" content-type="article"><label>3</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zeng D, Cai J, Ouyang T, 2021, Research on Digital Transformation: Integrated Framework and Future Prospects (in Chinese). Foreign Economics &amp; Management, 43(5): 63–76.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B4" content-type="article"><label>4</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Shen J, Li Y, Wang T, et al., 2022, Digital Transformation and Dynamic Adjustment of Enterprise Capital Structure (in Chinese). Journal of Statistics and Information, 37(12): 42–54.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B5" content-type="article"><label>5</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhang Q, Yang M, 2022, Enterprise Digital Transformation and Internal Control Quality: A Quasi-Natural Experiment based on the Pilot of “Integration of Informatization and Industrialization” Standard Implementation (in Chinese). Auditing Research, 2022(6): 117–128.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B6" content-type="article"><label>6</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhang A, Yang X, Wu W, et al., 2021, Research on the Impact of Internal Control Defects and their Remediation on Earnings Persistence: From the Perspective of Agency Cost (in Chinese). Macroeconomics, 2021(11): 149–163.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B7" content-type="article"><label>7</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Shi B, Xia X, Jiang F, 2023, Literature Review of Financing Constraints: An Analysis based on China’s Institutional Background (in Chinese). Journal of Central University of Finance &amp; Economics, 2023(1): 58–68.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B8" content-type="article"><label>8</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Liu G, Ye C, 2017, Research on the Relationship between Financing Constraints and R&amp;D Efficiency from the Perspective of Internal Control (in Chinese). Science &amp; Technology Progress and Policy, 34(15): 20–26.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B9" content-type="article"><label>9</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Chen Y, 2023, Research on the Impact of Digital Economy on the Innovation Sustainability of Entity Enterprises (in Chinese). Journal of Technical Economics &amp; Management, 2023(10): 43–48.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B10" content-type="article"><label>10</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jiang T, 2022, Mediating and Moderating Effects in Empirical Research on Causal Inference (in Chinese). China Industrial Economics, 2022(5): 100–120.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B11" content-type="article"><label>11</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Yin M, Sheng L, Li W, 2018, Executive Incentives, Innovation Investment and Corporate Performance: An Empirical Study by Industry from the Perspective of Endogeneity (in Chinese). Nankai Business Review, 21(1): 109–117.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref></ref-list></back></article>
