Digital Economy, Natural Endowments, and Regional Economic Growth: A Moderating Effect Analysis Based on Multilevel Models

Digital Economy, Natural Endowments, and Regional Economic Growth: A Moderating Effect Analysis Based on Multilevel Models | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Digital Economy, Natural Endowments, and Regional Economic Growth: A Moderating Effect Analysis Based on Multilevel Models Dianguo Liu, Pengfei Wang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study examines the impact of the digital economy and natural resources on economic growth using a hierarchical linear model and provincial-level data from China (1998–2022). Data is treated as a production factor, while digital technology and natural resources influence total factor productivity. The findings reveal a significantly positive within-group effect, a marginally significant between-group effect, and a significant cross-level moderating effect of natural resources, whereas the level-two moderating effect is not significant. To foster economic growth, regions should develop tailored digital economy strategies aligned with their natural resource endowments. JEL codes: O33 O44 Q32 R11 Business and commerce/Economics Social science/Economics Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences Digital economy Natural resources Economic growth Hierarchical linear model Moderating effect Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7132248","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":517681519,"identity":"84a03490-5abd-4f02-9555-3cb5d495774b","order_by":0,"name":"Dianguo Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guilin University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dianguo","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":517681521,"identity":"1126656b-4d7b-473d-9ae3-4e268f15f7b4","order_by":1,"name":"Pengfei Wang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA3klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCj39s5PjZmw8c+PCDSB2MMxvSjCV7jiUenNlDpBZm3obDiQY3cowPc7ARodzg+NnDr3l3MCdI9pz5cJiBh0GeX+wAAS1n8tIs555hy+Nn791wuMCCwXDm7AT8WswO5JgZvGHjKZbsObvh8AwehgSD24S0nH9jZsDDJpG44UbOg8M8bMRoAfr6IW+bAUgLA3Fa7G+8MWOccSYBFMgGwECWIOwXyf4c4w8fKv6DovLxhw8/bOT5pQloAQI2CSSOBE5lyID5A1HKRsEoGAWjYOQCANaYTueEthspAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"East China Normal University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pengfei","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-15 15:38:20","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":91938367,"identity":"1593ddca-b6d0-4c0b-a4fc-1f75daaaf4e1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 03:07:59","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":137252,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1/823e9829af496f1478c74079.docx"},{"id":91937592,"identity":"a7d9dc43-e51f-4ddd-aee6-0b147025cef6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 02:59:59","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3343,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"b9864d02f2a74b91b1ffc8b717eaeb28.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1/35959fe04ef9a604a3f2f4e9.json"},{"id":91937595,"identity":"09c3d206-7051-4c27-85b8-4f976c8612d8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 02:59:59","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":155855,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"b9864d02f2a74b91b1ffc8b717eaeb281enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1/1c4a391760564a72c5774a73.xml"},{"id":91937593,"identity":"7c92f4c8-2e75-4689-bbd1-9936f2966a7e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 02:59:59","extension":"xml","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":154418,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"b9864d02f2a74b91b1ffc8b717eaeb281structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1/587fab7b3426fc4f958c49a8.xml"},{"id":91938366,"identity":"08bfbd40-efea-496a-8a22-aa95b771165f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-23 03:07:59","extension":"html","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":164778,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1/05669f7d5cc4301b0bcb5ed2.html"},{"id":92950213,"identity":"24aac248-4a99-44e2-aaca-36fc9d5a1db4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-07 13:06:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":473045,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7132248/v1_covered_c282aeba-03b0-4b6d-b756-81e9391add4f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Digital Economy, Natural Endowments, and Regional Economic Growth: A Moderating Effect Analysis Based on Multilevel Models","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Digital economy, Natural resources, Economic growth, Hierarchical linear model, Moderating effect","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examines the impact of the digital economy and natural resources on economic growth using a hierarchical linear model and provincial-level data from China (1998–2022). Data is treated as a production factor, while digital technology and natural resources influence total factor productivity. The findings reveal a significantly positive within-group effect, a marginally significant between-group effect, and a significant cross-level moderating effect of natural resources, whereas the level-two moderating effect is not significant. To foster economic growth, regions should develop tailored digital economy strategies aligned with their natural resource endowments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJEL codes: \u003c/strong\u003eO33 O44 Q32 R11\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Digital Economy, Natural Endowments, and Regional Economic Growth: A Moderating Effect Analysis Based on Multilevel Models","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-23 02:59:55","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7132248/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"7e69ae06-cff4-41a3-815f-53cc3340743d","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":55017811,"name":"Business and commerce/Economics"},{"id":55017812,"name":"Social science/Economics"},{"id":55017813,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-07T12:54:42+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-23 02:59:55","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7132248","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7132248","identity":"rs-7132248","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}