Is data the key to sustainability? The roles of big data analytics, green innovation, and organizational identity in gaining green competitive advantage

Abstract

ABSTRACT The firms’ adoption and improvement of big data analytics (BDA) to attain a green competitive advantage (GCA) has witnessed a recent upsurge. This makes it important to discover the underlying mechanism influencing the relationship between BDA and GCA, which is missing in the extant literature. This study attempts to fill this gap by examining the indirect impact of green innovation (GI) and the moderating role of green organizational identity (GOI) on the relationship between BDA and GCA. Using a three-wave time-lagged design from 397 manufacturing firms, we found that BDA significantly influences GI, which significantly mediates the relation between BDA and GCA. The findings further demonstrated that GOI serves to amplify the influence of GI on GCA. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.