DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND BRAND EQUITY FORMATION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN UZBEKISTAN

This study investigates the relationship between digital transformation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and brand equity formation in the textile industry of Uzbekistan. While prior research has extensively examined quality management and branding independently, limited empirical attention has been given to the role of digitalized QMS in shaping brand equity within emerging industrial economies. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, this study develops a conceptual model linking digital QMS adoption to operational efficiency, perceived quality, and brand equity. Using survey data collected from textile manufacturing firms and applying structural equation modeling (SEM), the study tests the direct and indirect effects of digital quality transformation on brand development outcomes.The findings indicate that digital integration of quality management significantly enhances perceived product quality, operational transparency, and customer trust, which in turn positively influence brand equity formation. The results contribute to the literature on digital operations management and strategic branding in emerging markets.The study offers managerial implications for textile firms seeking competitive advantage through digital quality transformation and provides policy insights for industrial modernization strategies in Uzbekistan.本研究聚焦乌兹别克斯坦纺织行业内质量管理体系（Quality Management Systems，QMS）的数字化转型与品牌资产（brand equity）形成之间的关联关系。既有研究已对质量管理与品牌建设分别开展了大量探讨，但针对新兴工业经济体中数字化质量管理体系在塑造品牌资产过程中所发挥的作用，相关实证研究仍较为匮乏。本研究基于资源基础观（Resource-Based View，RBV）与动态能力理论（Dynamic Capabilities Theory），构建了将数字化质量管理体系应用与运营效率（operational efficiency）、感知质量（perceived quality）及品牌资产相联结的概念模型。本研究通过收集纺织制造企业的调研数据，并运用结构方程模型（structural equation modeling，SEM），检验了数字化质量转型对品牌发展成果的直接与间接影响效应。研究结果表明，质量管理的数字化整合可显著提升产品感知质量、运营透明度与客户信任，进而对品牌资产的形成产生积极推动作用。本研究结果丰富了新兴市场数字化运营管理与战略品牌管理领域的相关文献。本研究可为旨在通过数字化质量转型获取竞争优势的纺织企业提供管理启示，并为乌兹别克斯坦的工业现代化战略提供政策参考。