DATA PROTECTION LAWS AND CORPORATE DIGITAL STRATEGY

We examine how corporate governance practices influence corporate performance within regulated digital governance environments and introduce the Digital Governance Compliance Strategy Model to explain these relationships. The analysis relies on the Corporate Digital Governance and Data Protection Adoption Dataset covering corporations operating under digital governance regulations in Ghana between 2020 and 2024 with a sample of forty four governance professionals responsible for compliance and oversight. The empirical design evaluates three governance dimensions together with the institutional environment and corporate performance indicators using correlation and multivariate modeling procedures. Results show that stronger board independence, effective audit committee oversight, and higher regulatory compliance are positively associated with financial transparency, operational efficiency, investor confidence, and market competitiveness. Evidence also shows that institutional governance conditions strengthen these relationships by reinforcing regulatory quality and governance enforcement. We reveal that compliance driven governance structures operate as strategic instruments that strengthen corporate accountability and market credibility in digitally regulated economies. The model advances governance and institutional theory by integrating governance mechanisms with institutional context to explain corporate performance outcomes across emerging digital regulatory systems. Policy insights support stronger governance monitoring, regulatory discipline, and institutional reforms that promote transparent and resilient corporate systems worldwide.