DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SEAFOOD ENTERPRISES IN THE RED RIVER DELTA

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between digital transformation and the financial performance of seafood enterprises in the Red River Delta. The unbalanced panel comprises 200 firm observations from 50 enterprises during 2021–2025, with locations consistently recoded according to the current administrative units. Digital transformation is measured by digital technology investment expenditure as a percentage of revenue, while financial performance is represented by ROA, ROE, and ROS. Pooled OLS, fixed-effects, random-effects, and feasible generalized least squares estimations are employed for model selection and correction. The results indicate that digital investment intensity is positively and significantly associated with all three financial performance measures. Firm size has a positive coefficient, whereas financial leverage is negatively associated with ROA and ROS. The findings suggest that seafood enterprises should prioritize digital investments capable of reducing losses, controlling costs, and improving traceability while carefully managing the financial risks of technology investment.