Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study is to assess the influence of Information Management Capability (IMC) on Companies’ Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) based on the qualitative approach. Design/methodology/approach – This study presents results of a multiple-case study carried out in three leading companies in their sector in Brazil (a credit union, a fashion retailer, and a furniture manufacturer). Findings –The results point towards a series of connections between Information System capacities (information management and integration) and organizational capacities (flexibility, reconfigurations, and agility), which were observed through content analysis applied to the inter-occurrence of intermediate categories of these capacities. Originality/value – The strategic impact of information technology resources and capacities remains a source of controversy in the literature. This study contributes to the literature on Information Systems Management and Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA). These are influenced by resources and abilities related to information rather than just technological resources.

Highlights

  • The strategic impact of Information Technology (IT) resources and their influence on organizations’ performance remain controversial in the literature on Information Systems (IS) (Chae, Koh, & Prybutok, 2014; Luse & Mennecke, 2014; Sabherwal & Jeyaraj, 2015)

  • In order to be a source of Sustainable Competitive Advantages, Information Management Capability (IMC) must have a positive impact on the Agility Capability of responses to changes required by the context and influence Integration Capability and organizational Adaptation (Flexibility), as well as Reconfiguration Capability

  • Both relationships were identified in Case A, but adaptation speed in Case B was a factor that was sensitive to infrastructure, whereas efficiency to adapt to resources was observed in Case C

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Summary

Introduction

The strategic impact of Information Technology (IT) resources and their influence on organizations’ performance remain controversial in the literature on Information Systems (IS) (Chae, Koh, & Prybutok, 2014; Luse & Mennecke, 2014; Sabherwal & Jeyaraj, 2015). The aim of this study is to investigate Information Management Capability (IMC) and its influence as a source of Sustainable Competitive Advantages (SCA) for companies. Information Management Capability can be understood as a set of company skills that support information infrastructure, architecture, and access, as well as its distribution, which enables organizational adjustments in response to changes imposed by internal and external environments This construct must be taken into consideration within the Big Data and Analytics contexts (Ali & Khan, 2019; Brinkhues, Freitas, & Maçada, 2015; Maçada, Brinkhues, & Freitas, 2015) because it would indicate the relationship between these skills and the company’s strategic performance (Mikalef, Pappas, Krogstie, & Giannakos, 2018). The results analysis is addressed in chapter five, which ends with the final considerations about the research

Theoretical perspectives on competitive advantages
Information Management Capability
Model Development and Research Propositions
IMC and IS Integration Capability
IMC and Flexibility
IMC and Reconfiguration Capability
Flexibility and Agility
Reconfiguration Capability and Agility
Agility and SCA
Research model
Methodological Procedures of Multiple Case Studies
Case Analyses
Complementarity between IMC and Internal IS Integration Capability
Complementarity between IMC and External IS Integration Capability
Agility and Sustainable Competitive Advantages
Discussion and Final
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