Linking big data analytics capability and sustainable supply chain performance: mediating role of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking

Abstract

PurposeDrawing on the dynamic capability view (DCV), the current study aims to examine the mediating effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), in terms of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking, on the relationships between big data analytics (BDA) capability and sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP).Design/methodology/approachData were collected by questionnaire survey from 300 manufacturing organizations. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe findings showed that innovativeness and proactiveness fully mediated the link between BDA capability and SSCP. However, risk taking only partially mediated the relationship between BDA capability and SSCP. There was also a negative relationship between BDA and risk taking.Research limitations/implicationsGiven that the current study focused on the manufacturing sector, future research is needed to compare different sectors and cultural contexts. Further exploration is also needed into the dimension of risk taking in terms of the role of risk taking in linking BDA capability with SSCP in different cultural settings.Practical implicationsTechnology may not increase the risk taking capability. Organizations may be creative and proactive but may remain risk averse despite having access to big data. Organizations need a more balanced approach to dynamically integrate and reconfigure the organizations' BDA and EO capabilities in order to enhance SSCP.Originality/valueThe role of EO in mediating the relationship between BDA capability and SSCP has not been studied before. The current study aimed to address the gap and contribute to the existing debate on better understanding the factors that are needed by organizations to effectively employ technology to enhance SSCP. Untapped areas for future research are also identified.