Leveraging big data-driven dynamic capabilities for enhanced decision making: a moderated-mediation approach

Objective: This study examines how marketing agility mediates the relationship between organizational learning and marketing performance in Indonesia's express delivery industry, highlighting strategies for improved adaptability and competitiveness. Theoretical Framework: This study builds on dynamic capabilities theory, organizational learning theory, and marketing agility frameworks to investigate how organizational learning drives marketing agility, which enhances marketing performance in Indonesia's express delivery industry. Method: This study uses a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data collected from 151 respondents via a structured questionnaire distributed through the Indonesian Express Delivery Service Association. Results and Discussion: Organizational learning boosts marketing agility, improving marketing performance in Indonesia's express delivery sector. Marketing agility is a mediator, highlighting the importance of a learning-oriented culture for market adaptation. This aligns with the dynamic capabilities framework, emphasizing competitive agility. Further research is recommended in other service sectors. Research Implications: This study emphasizes the role of organizational learning in enhancing marketing agility and performance in express delivery. Practically, firms should focus on continuous learning for adaptability. Theoretically, it advances the dynamic capabilities framework by linking learning and performance through marketing agility. These implications could encompass other service industries. Originality/Value: This study is the first to empirically examine the relationships among organizational learning, marketing agility, and marketing performance in Indonesia's express delivery sector. By highlighting marketing agility as a critical mediator, it offers insights into how continuous learning enhances organizational responsiveness and competitiveness, contributing to dynamic capabilities literature.

Purpose Although dynamic capabilities have been extensively theorized, empirical evidence remains fragmented, leaving unresolved how managerial capabilities translate into performance and under what conditions. Integrating the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) with contingency theory, this study examines how dynamic managerial capabilities (DMCs) influence small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance through strategic flexibility (SF), moderated by market turbulence (MT). Design/methodology/approach Drawing on survey data from 536 SMEs across five service sectors in Jordan – an emerging-market context characterized by institutional voids and resource scarcity – partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test a moderated-mediation model. Findings Results show that DMCs significantly enhance both strategic flexibility and performance. SF partially mediates the DMC–performance relationship, accounting for roughly one-quarter of the total effect. Moreover, MT strengthens the positive SF–performance link through second-stage moderation, indicating that flexibility yields greater value under turbulent conditions. Practical implications SME executives should institutionalize strategic flexibility by embedding systematic market monitoring, cross-functional coordination and rapid resource-reallocation routines. Policymakers should tailor capability-building initiatives to sectoral turbulence levels, fostering adaptive rather than static resilience. Originality/value This study advances understanding of how dynamic managerial capabilities generate performance by (1) validating strategic flexibility as the organizational mechanism linking managerial microfoundations to outcomes, (2) identifying market turbulence as a contextual amplifier of this mechanism and (3) demonstrating these dynamics in resource-constrained Jordanian SMEs where managerial agency compensates for institutional voids – thereby extending the theoretical and contextual boundaries of the dynamic capabilities view.

Background: Firms recently rely on enterprise systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), to integrate, automate, and support business strategy and operations. However, uncertain environments require firms continuously adapt their ERP systems to meet changing business demands in the post-implementation stage. What capability can drive ERP post-implementation adaptation (PIA) deserves further research. Based on the dynamic capabilities view, we propose that dynamic IT capabilities for ERP, namely IT sensing, IT learning, IT integration, and IT coordination capability, can drive ERP-PIA. Method: A cross-sectional and matched-pair mail survey of both business and IS executives was administrated for collecting data from the top 1,000 manufacturing firms in Taiwan. Partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was constructed for measurement validation and hypotheses testing. Results: Based on 128 samples (74 firms), our findings demonstrate the importance of the dynamic IT capabilities for achieving higher levels of ERP-PIA. ERP-PIA can facilitate greater organizational benefits from system use. Conclusions: This study conceptualizes and empirically demonstrates the importance of ERP-PIA, which provides a specific example of IT/IS adaptation. This study also conceptualizes dynamic IT capabilities for ERP, and theorizes how these capabilities interact to enable firms to adapt ERP systems to fulfill the emergent demands. This study improvs the understanding of the roles of dynamic IT capabilities for ERP in enabling ERP-PIA and organizational benefits through a richer theoretical framing than that of prior studies.

Purpose The goal of this research is to examine the influence of digital leadership (DL) on adaptive capacity (ADC) of small- and medium-sized family businesses (SMFBs). Moreover, the study investigates the mediating influence of the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities represented by sensing capability (SC) and organizational agility (OA), both parallelly and sequentially. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) and supporting empirical evidence, a conceptual framework is developed along with a set of hypotheses. Using survey data collected from 263 SMFBs in Oman, the hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling through partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The analysis reveals that DL positively influences ADC, SC and OA. Additionally, SC and OA both parallelly mediate the link between DL and ADC. Finally, both SC and OA act as sequential mediators in the relationship between DL and ADC among SMFBs. Practical implications For practitioners, the study reveals critical role of DL in strengthening SMFBs. Family business leaders may consider the evidence and invest in leadership development programs to enhance digital competencies, enabling better SC and agility. Policymakers can offer training programs and resources, helping family businesses to build DL and dynamic capabilities essential for thriving in a competitive and evolving business environment. Originality/value This study makes four key contributions. First, this study expands the literature at the crossroads of the family business, digitalization, dynamic capabilities and resilience, to investigate the influence of DL on ADC. Second, the role of SC as a mediator in the above relationship, tested in the current study, seems to be overlooked in the empirical literature. Third, the findings demonstrate the mediating role of OA in relationship between DL and ADC. Finally, this appears to be the first study that presents sequential mediating role of SC and OA between DL and ADC, adding a finer-grained understanding of how influence of DL is transmitted to ADC.

PurposeThe resource-based theory (RBT) explains that the management control system (MCS) represents a resource that complements dynamic capabilities by steering employees toward strategies, leading to superior performance. This study aims to identify the impacts of the MCS and dynamic capabilities such as entrepreneurship, innovation, organizational learning and market orientation on financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThe research sample included 200 managers from grain-producing agribusiness organizations in Brazil. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to conduct a symmetric analysis, while fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was applied for an asymmetric analysis.FindingsIn the symmetric analysis, the linear association model did not fully explain how the use of MCSs and dynamic capabilities drive financial performance. However, the findings indicate that diagnostic and interactive MCSs positively affect dynamic capabilities. In the asymmetric analysis, the results suggest that the high financial performance of the analyzed organizations can be achieved without considering the need for Entrepreneurship or Innovation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study broadens and complements the interpretive scope of previous studies and allows for comparisons.Practical implicationsMCSs must be used in a balanced and synergistic manner (diagnostic and interactive), with an emphasis on monitoring goals and discussions with managers. This is important and contributes to developing internal capabilities, which are embodied in decisions and actions, potentially impacting financial performance. These results are crucial for Brazilian agribusiness organizations, as they provide actionable insights into how the strategic use of MCSs can directly enhance financial performance. By revealing that the balanced and synergistic use of diagnostic and interactive MCSs fosters dynamic capabilities such as innovation and market orientation, the study offers practical guidance for managers aiming to boost organizational effectiveness. This research not only informs management practices but also positions Brazilian agribusinesses to remain competitive in a global market.Originality/valueThis study has generated new discussions based on possible combinations and interactions between MCSs and dynamic capabilities to predict high organizational performance. In practical terms, MCSs and dynamic capabilities can be designed in various manners to reach optimal performance levels.

Interorganizational collaboration and the use of new digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, internet of things (IoT), or blockchain technology, are regarded as key enablers in implementing sustainability and circular economy‐oriented practices. While this is reflected in a few conceptual and case studies, statistical analyses on the topic are rare. No study so far has focused on collaboration, and digital technologies have only been studied in isolation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of interorganizational collaboration practices on a firm's circular economy practices and on outcomes (sustainability performance and economic performance), as well as the potentially facilitative role of new digital technologies on both. The research is based on a deductive approach, using a random sample of 112 Austrian manufacturing companies. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM), features a multiple‐respondent design, and uses the dynamic capabilities view as a theoretical foundation. The study finds that interorganizational collaboration practices have a strong positive effect on the implementation of sustainability and CE practices, while the use of new digital technologies and general dynamic capabilities do not. The use of digital technologies positively affects only interorganizational collaboration, while general dynamic capabilities serve as an antecedent for both the use of digital technologies and interorganizational collaboration. Regarding the outcomes of CE implementation, the study finds a positive impact on firm‐level sustainability and economic performance. From a theoretical point of view, the study provides a new perspective on the prerequisites for successful CE implementation, highlights the importance of collaboration, and contextualizes the role of new digital technologies and dynamic capabilities. From a practical point of view, based on the positive outcomes found, the study supports arguments in favor of company engagement in CE activity. It also serves to motivate purposive digitization and systems thinking in order to create efficient CE collaboration networks.

PurposeThis study examines the relationships between collaboration capability (CC) and supply chain risk management (SCRM) and the mediating role of supply chain alignment (SCA) between CC and SCRM. It also investigates the moderating role of data-driven culture (DDC) on the path joining CC and SCA.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted via a structured questionnaire among the 297 managers of Business-to-business (B2B) firms. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe result found a positive and significant relationship between CC and SCRM, CC and SCA, and SCA and SCRM. The research found a significant mediating role of SCA between CC and SCRM. The study also found a significant moderating role of DBC between CC and SCA.Practical implicationsThe outcomes demonstrate the management and societal relevance of the study from the viewpoint of businesses in developing nations. To cope with dynamic shifts, managers and decision makers need to take initiative for collaboration among the supplier, to align with their supply chain operations and enhance preparedness of DDC to overcome supply chain-related risks in the future.Originality/valueThe results of this empirical study have the significant potential to provide valuable guidance and insights about the B2B firms’ CC to develop SCA to enhance SCRM as risk management for the supply chain can aid in loss prevention and provide an edge over competitors. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, these relationships based on the dynamic capability view (DCV) add to existing studies on B2B firms’ supply chains in a novel way.

Purpose This study aims at assessing entrepreneurial business performance (EBP) from dynamic capability (DC) and technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework perspectives, taking support from crowdfunding. Design/methodology/approach With the inputs from the literature, supported by TOE framework and the dynamic capability view (DCV), a model has been proposed. This model has been tested by the factor-based partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique through a survey and quantifying the responses of 406 respondents on a five-point Likert scale has been used. Findings The study has found that crowdfunding support (CFS) has an effective influence on the improvement of EBP. Also, the DC supports to improve the EBP. Environmental dynamism (END) has also a critical role in impacting business performance. Research limitations/implications Crowdfunding involves investors who have a similar interest in the business, close friends, family members, venture capitalists, investment groups, etc. Thus, the proposed model can be used by these stakeholders for investment purposes as well as for improving EBP. This study is a cross sectional research work which has limitations. Moreover, the sample size of this project is limited and did not include global respondents, Thus, the findings of this study cannot be generalizable which is another limitation of this study. Practical implications Crowdfunding involves investors who have a similar interest in the business, such as close friends, family members, venture capitalists, investment groups, etc. Thus, the proposed model can be used by these stakeholders for investment purposes as well as for improving EBP. The study can help policymakers understand the importance of crowdfunding in promoting entrepreneurship activities in a region, which helps in the economic development of that region. Originality/value This research work enriches the extant literature in the fields of crowdfunding and investment, DC and entrepreneurship. Not many studies have dealt with the issues of CFS for the improvement of EBP. Hence, this study may be considered novel. Moreover, the proposed research framework related to crowdfunding possesses a high predictive power. This makes the study unique.

The recent Big Data Analytics (BDA) has also revolutionised the way organisations derive intelligence and react to environmental dynamics. The proposed study of this research suggests the design of a study by utilising the "Dynamic Capabilities" View and the Organisational Learning Theory as the means of identifying the interdependence between Big Data Analytics-enabled Dynamic Capabilities (BDAEDC) and Decision-Making Quality of Organisations (DMQO),through Explorative Learning (ELR). The survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire, which was administered to managers of various organisations. The proposed model was tested using “Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling" (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that BDAEDC has a significant positive effect on decision quality and exploratory learning. Moreover, exploratory learning has a substantial influence on the quality of the decision-making process, which proves its significance in prompting necessary changes for organisations to adopt, innovate, and improve the quality of strategic decisions. The mediation analysis suggests a partial mediating effect of exploratory learning in the relationship between BDAEDC and DMQ, thereby reinforcing the idea that the value of data-enabling capabilities can be delivered not only directly but also indirectly, through facilitated learning within the organization. The article has helped provide a theoretical explanation of the interaction between dynamic capabilities, big data, and knowledge, while also offering practical advice to managers and coordinating the alignment of BDA initiatives and learning-based practices to enhance the quality of decision-making.

Purpose This study aims to identify core capability gaps that hinder the development of business acumen and examine its role as a strategic enabler of innovation and sustained performance among Indonesia’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital era. Design/methodology/approach Based on a survey of 450 MSME executives, this study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the relationships among business acumen, innovation creation, digital platform empowerment and sustainability. Findings MSME business characteristics, particularly strategic commitment and learning orientation, shape foresight and adaptability in dynamic markets, as reflected in the Enlightenment and Empowerment phases of the 5E model. Technological competence mediates the effect of government support on performance, while business acumen emerges as a central mechanism driving innovation and resilience. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, the study enriches the understanding of business acumen as a dynamic capability aligned with organizational learning and strategic foresight. Practical implications Practically, it offers a diagnostic roadmap for MSMEs and policymakers to strengthen innovation, commitment, and resilience. By framing business acumen as a cultivated capability, it emphasizes the role of digital literacy, adaptive learning, and institutional support in fostering inclusive and sustainable transformation. Social implications The study underscores the social value of MSME digitalization in promoting inclusive participation in the digital economy (SDG 8 and SDG 9). Through innovation and learning, particularly in the Enrichment and Empowerment phases, it supports socially inclusive and adaptive enterprise development. Originality/value The study offers an integrated mid-range conceptual model bridging organizational knowledge creation and dynamic capability theories. The novel 5E model outlines a developmental sequence for assessing how MSMEs build strategic agility through digital transformation.

Purpose The study aims to examine the effect of a firm’s organizational learning (ORL), dynamic capabilities (DYC) and absorptive capacity (OAC) on its competitive advantages (CAD) and firm performance (FRP), with a specific focus on how environmental dynamism (EVD) moderates these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey design was used in the research. Using a self-administered questionnaire, information was gathered from 360 owners and managers in Accra, Ghana, who worked in the automotive, pharmaceutical, plastics, rubber, technology, communication and other sectors. The data was analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the hypothesized relationships, including mediation and moderation effects. Findings The research demonstrated that competitive advantage mediates the relationships between ORL and firm performance (FRP), as well as between dynamic capabilities (DYCs) and FRP. The competitive advantage-FRP and the competitive advantage-DYC relationships are adversely moderated by EVD. Originality/value The research gives fresh insights into how ORL, DYCs and absorptive ability collectively affect competitive advantage and firm performance, broadening the knowledge in today’s dynamic business world. Significantly, it underscores the strategic importance of building resilient learning and innovation systems in dynamic environments. The results give managers suggestions on exploiting absorptive ability for competitive advantage.

Inside the Black-box: Analysing the Generation of Core Competencies and Dynamic Capabilities by Exploring Collective Minds. An Organisational Learning Perspective** The paper combines resource-based thinking with perspectives from theories of organisational learning and knowledge management. According to the resource-based view (RBV) strategy can be defined as emergent pattern of interaction generating core competencies and dynamic capabilities. These processes of interaction and their relation to core competencies and dynamic capabilities are of major concern in the presented analysis. A synthesis with learning theories further leads to the basic assumption that processes of knowledge identification, knowledge diffusion, knowledge integration and the enactment of the environment are critical for generating core competencies. Moreover, learning theories show how to approach the causal ambiguityargument that is important in the explanation of core competencies given by RBV. It will be argued that the analysis of the shared mental model of the organisational members is a method to explore critical processes for generating core competencies. A related research instrument will be validated in a case study analysis that was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise aiming at testing the instrument and the aforementioned basic assumption. The instrument can explore the critical processes in which the generation of core competencies and dynamic capabilities is embedded in. It provides a better understanding of the critical processes within the organisation than the RBV. Key words: Causal ambiguity, collective minds, competitive advantages, core competencies, dynamic capabilities, knowledge management, organisational learning, resource-based view, strategic processes 1. Introduction The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm has been thoroughly discussed in strategic management literature. The basic assumptions of this approach have been developed further during the last twenty years, specified for certain organisational functions and validated in hundreds of empirical analyses (see Barney/Arikan 2001; Rouse/Daellenbach 2002; Ray/Barney/Muhanna 2004). As a consequence, the RBV became a leading paradigm in strategic management (Wernerfelt 1995; Bresser 1998). Even though there is considerable theoretical and empirical progress in resourcebased research shortcomings still exist in the theoretical underpinnings of the approach. These restrict related empirical investigations that try to measure critical resources and processes for sustainable competitive advantages. One of the major shortcomings of the RBV is the fact that the organisation remains a black-box even though it is considered as the source of organisational success (Ortmann/Sydow 2001; Priem/Butler 2001). There is a lack in explanations of how heterogeneity arises (Helfat/Peteraf 2003: 997). This is not only a limitation in the eyes of those who regard the RBV as a theory of competitive advantage - if the major interest relies on rules for richness, the causal ambiguity argument of the RBV is somehow dissatisfying. Causal ambiguity means that the link between the resources controlled by a firm, internal processes and sustained competitive advantages can neither be attributed from outside nor from organisational members (Barney 1991). Rather, the causal ambiguity paradox - even though it is inspiring - veils the view on organisational internal processes that might have a strategic impact. The RBV does not only lay emphasis on the internal organisation but also limits a deeper understanding of organisational internal strategic processes. For a further development of strategy research a broader perspective of social action within and between organisations as well as between organisations and environments is essential. As Mintzberg (1978, 1994) points out these processes of forming a pattern of strategic action have been neglected in strategy research (see also Quinn 1984). …

The competitive environment within which organizations operate is evolving faster than ever, prompting organizations to change to keep up with the environmental changes. The dynamic capabilities (DCs) view seeks to answer how organizations attain and sustain competitive advantage in changing environments. In the past two decades, there has been a proliferation of research in the DCs domain; yet much remains to be investigated regarding the antecedents and outcomes of DCs. The term “dynamic marketing capabilities” (DMCs) refers to a subset of DCs with the emphasis on customer value. This research studies four DMCs: proactive market orientation, agility, opportunity creation, and value innovation. The development of DCs may be triggered by the necessity to reconfigure resources in dynamic environments or by managers’ decisions to change the current way of doing things in an attempt to improve performance. Therefore, environmental dynamism and dynamic managerial capabilities are antecedents of DCs. To achieve competitive advantage, organizations can employ two distinct but complementary strategies. First, they can match environmental demands by reconfiguring and renewing their organizational resource base. Second, they can create market turbulence. Therefore, these two strategies act as mediators between DMCs and organizational outcomes. A conceptual framework is developed in order to examine the relationship between DMCs, their antecedents, and outcomes. A sample of 270 usable responses was obtained from top and senior managers working in Australia. After ensuring the constructs’ reliability and validity, the hypotheses were tested by means of hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicate that environmental dynamism and dynamic managerial capabilities positively affect the studied DMCs; however, the effect of dynamic managerial capabilities is stronger. Moreover, DMCs have a positive impact on operational marketing capabilities and induced market turbulence; these in turn positively affect organizational outcomes. The multi-mediation tests confirmed that operational marketing capabilities and induced market turbulence mediate the effect of DMCs on organizational outcomes. This study contributes to and extends the knowledge of DCs by proposing an integrative conceptual framework, explaining the antecedents of DMCs and the mechanism by which DMCs are linked to organizational outcomes. The findings re-emphasize the need for DCs in dynamic environments and highlight the critical role of dynamic managerial capabilities. Another contribution is that the study incorporates the element of induced market turbulence, hitherto missing in the literature pertaining to DMCs. This study also emphasizes that operational marketing capabilities mediate the relationship between DMCs and organizational performance. Moreover, four distinct DMCs (i.e., proactive market orientation, agility, opportunity creation, and value innovation) are identified, and scales are developed and validated to measure them. The findings suggest that these DMCs perform as anticipated. This research provides several insights for managers regarding DCs and how to apply them to organizations. The results of this study demonstrate that it is necessary for organizations to invest in developing DMCs, not to achieve performance improvement directly, but to optimize their operational marketing capability configuration. This, in turn, improves organizational outcomes. Moreover, managers are encouraged to invest in the development of DCs as a strategic rather than tactical approach. Another implication is that in ambiguous environments, organizations need to not only adapt to the environment, but also to employ strategies of environment constructing.

Purpose This study aims to analyze the effect of digital skills on digital transformation, dynamic capabilities and organizational agility in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as their collective impact on MSMEs’ performance. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 510 MSMEs registered in six different databases through an online questionnaire distributed via an instant messaging application from May to June 2024. The questionnaire was validated by experts through focus group discussions (FGD). To prevent bias, clear items, detailed instructions and different measurement scales were used. The study area was concentrated in the Java Island region and Jakarta. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Strong digital skills enhance the digital transformation and dynamic capabilities of MSMEs, which enables rapid response to change and timely strategic decisions. Furthermore, digital transformation followed by good dynamic capabilities can enhance the MSMEs’ performance. Research limitations/implications This research is limited by MSME heterogeneity, industry differences, sampling bias, lack of external factor control and narrow performance measures, which may affect the generalizability and comprehensiveness of findings. Practical implications This study encourages MSMEs and policymakers to adopt structured digital transformation by integrating technology, skills and agility, supported by fiscal incentives and collaboration to boost competitiveness and growth. Originality/value Digital transformation and dynamic capabilities play a crucial role in enhancing the performance of MSMEs, which use simpler digital technology compared to large enterprises.

This research explores the impact of dynamic innovation capabilities on firm performance, investigating how alliances and networks improve the focal firm’s capabilities. We examine four innovation capabilities and their effect on profitability, performance, and growth of companies in the food industry. Drawing on the extant literature on innovation and dynamic capabilities theory, we develop six hypotheses to explain the relationship between different innovation capabilities and firm performance. We test the proposed research model and hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with primary data from the food industry in Greece. Results indicate that dynamic innovation capabilities play a crucial role in improving profitability, growth, and overall firm performance through ordinary innovation capabilities. This study provides critical insights into innovation capabilities in the food industry. These insights are significant because prior studies have not investigated the relative effects of different innovation capabilities on profitability, growth, and overall firm performance, particularly the interrelationships between dynamic and ordinary innovation capabilities. The generalization of the study results may be limited due to the sample size.KeywordsInnovationDynamic CapabilitiesPLS-SEMFood industryGreece