Optimization of logistics services is a fundamental guarantee for the real economy to conveniently access resources and efficiently optimize factor allocation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of logistics service standardization management on the diversified operation level of listed companies based on China’s logistics standardization pilot policy.
Using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2004 to 2019 as a sample, and against the backdrop of China’s logistics standardization pilot policy, this study uses a multi-period difference-in-differences model to examine how logistics service standardization management affects the diversified operation level of micro-enterprises.
The results show that logistics service standardization management can significantly promote the improvement of enterprises’ diversified operation level, and this conclusion remains valid after being tested using a series of robustness analysis methods. Mechanism analysis results indicate that logistics service standardization management mainly improves the diversified operation level of enterprises by intensifying market competition, improving management efficiency and optimizing employee employment structure. Heterogeneity testing results show that standardized logistics service management has a greater impact on the diversified operations of non-state-owned enterprises, those with low levels of digital transformation, those in non-high-tech industries and those located in inland regions. Furthermore, extensibility analysis reveals that standardized logistics service management can help enterprises expand their product market reach and significantly reduce their dependence on large clients.
By using China’s logistics service standardization pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impact of logistics service standardization on corporate diversification. This research not only extends the literature on the policy effects of logistics standardization but also deepens the understanding of how the removal of implicit industry barriers influences corporate diversification strategies.
