An Empirical Investigation on Business Analytics in Software and Systems Development Projects

Abstract

To create competitive advantages, companies are leaning towards business analytics (BA) to make data-driven decisions. Nevertheless, users acceptance and effective usage of BA is a key element for its success. Around the globe, organizations are increasingly adopting BA, however, a paucity of research on examining the drivers of BA adoption and its continuance is noticeable in the literature. This is evident in developing countries where a higher number of systems and software development projects are outsourced. This is the first study to examine BA continuance in the context of software and systems development projects from the perspective of Pakistani software professionals. The data was collected from 186 Pakistani software professionals working in software and systems development projects. The data were analyzed using partial least squares - structural equation modelling techniques. Our structural model explains 45% variance on BA continuance intention, 69% variance on technological compatibility, and 59% variance on perceived usefulness. Our results show that confirmation has a direct impact on BA continuance intention in software and systems projects. The study has both theoretical and practical implications for professionals in the field of business analytics.