Business analytics capabilities in digitally-enabled and non-digitally-enabled companies in an emerging economy

Abstract

The excess of data has led industries to develop their capabilities to exploit the value of data and gain competitive advantage. In this context, business analysis has become substantive for this purpose in several domains. Surprisingly, business analytics has been at the top of the corporate agenda. While the potential benefits of business analytics are widely highlighted in cutting-edge literature, little is known about the prominence of analytics capabilities for business resilience during and after the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal) in emerging markets. This study examines the relevance of business analytics capabilities to the resilience and economic performance of digitally-enabled and non-digitally enabled companies in an emerging economy. Using a questionnaire, primary data was collected from digitally enabled national and multinational companies in the Brazilian context. The results of this study suggest that analytical capabilities are substantive to the resilience of digitally enabled multinational companies, with an emphasis on tangible, human and operational capabilities. This study fills a gap in the literature and makes significant contributions: (i) it highlights the protagonism of business analytical capabilities in digitally enabled multinational companies, during and after the COVID 19 pandemic in an emerging economy; (ii) serves as a guide for managers when choosing capabilities; (iii) sheds light on non-digitally enabled national companies to achieve resilience in their businesses in times of crises such as the COVID 19 pandemic; and (iv) expands the literature on business analytical capabilities..