How do firms create business value and dynamic capabilities by leveraging big data analytics management capability?

Despite researchers having averred that big data analytics (BDA) transforms firms' ways of doing business, knowledge about operationalizing these technologies in organizations to achieve strategic objectives is lacking. Moreover, organizations' great appetite for big data and limited empirical proof of whether BDA impacts organizations' transformational capacity poses a need for further empirical investigation. Therefore, this study explores the association between big data analytics management capabilities (BDAMC) and innovation performance via dynamic capabilities (DC), by applying the PLS-SEM technique to analyzing the feedback of 149 firms. Consequently, we ground our arguments on dynamic capability and social capital theory rather than a resource-based view that does not provide suitable explanations for the deployment of resources to adapt to change. Accordingly, we advance this research stream by finding that BDAMC significantly enhances innovation performance through DC. We also extend the literature by disclosing how BDAMC strengthens DC via strategic alignment and social capital.

Benchmarking strategic alignment of business and IT strategies: opportunities, risks, challenges and solutions.

Business and IT strategy alignment is a complex dynamic process in which organizations are in a position to enable extensive IT capabilities to achieve their business objectives. This interdependence is amplified by the COVID-19 crisis, which makes the integration of IT and business strategies more important than ever. This paper mainly aims to contribute to the understanding of strategic alignment from a practical perspective, as well as to demonstrate the applicability and robustness of the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM). Moreover, potential opportunities and risks associated with the strategic alignment of business and IT strategies are analysed. Findings are discussed after a qualitative analysis of 31 participants (semi-structured survey and interviews). Results indicated several difficulties affecting the strategic alignment implementation transcend the business and IT strategies like communication, corporate culture, governance, resource prioritization, and effective leadership. The study contends that there is a need to align and harmonize different agendas and interests within an organization and improve the understanding of the value of Strategic Alignment.

Lower-status experts' influence on health-care managers' decision-making.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to investigate and theoretically explain how line managers and lower-status experts work together in public health-care organizations. Hence, this study explores how lower-status experts influence line managers' decision-making and task prioritizing in order to guide staff experts' cooperation and performance improvements. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The authors used a qualitative method for data collection and analysis of the experts' and line managers' explanations about their cooperation. A theoretical approach of experts' identity positioning, in terms of differences and similarities, was used in analyzing the interaction between managers and experts. FINDINGS: This study shows that similarities and differences in positioning acts exist simultaneously. Similarity is constructed by way of strategic and professional alignment with the line managers' core tasks. Differences stem from the distinction between knowledge-grounded skills and professional attributes such as language, analytical tools, and jargon. Lower-status experts need to leave their entrenched positions and match the professional status of line managers in both knowledge aspirations and appearance to reach a respected approach of experts' identity positioning. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Unlike many previous studies, this study demonstrates that similarities and differences in positioning acts exist simultaneously.

Organizing core facilities as force multipliers: strategies for research universities.

Force multipliers are attributes of an organization that enable the successful completion of multiple essential missions. Core facilities play a critical role in the research enterprise and can be organized as force multipliers. Conceiving of cores in this way influences their organization, funding, and research impact. To function as a force multiplier for the research enterprise, core facilities need to do more than efficiently provide services for investigators and generate revenue to recover their service costs: they must be aligned with the strategic objectives of a research university. When core facilities are organized in this way, they can facilitate recruitment of faculty and trainees; serve to retain talented faculty; drive, acquire, and maintain cutting-edge research platforms; and promote interaction and collaboration across the institution. Most importantly, cores accelerate the discovery and sharing of knowledge that are the foundation of a modern research university. This idea has been systematically implemented through the Emory Integrated Core Facilities (cores.emory.edu), which include 16 distinct core facilities and the Division of Animal Resources. Force multiplier core facilities can significantly contribute to the many essential missions necessary for the success of the research enterprise at research universities.

Organizing core facilities as force multipliers: strategies for research universities.

Force multipliers are attributes of an organization that enable the successful completion of multiple essential missions. Core facilities play a critical role in the research enterprise and can be organized as force multipliers. Conceiving of cores in this way influences their organization, funding, and research impact. To function as a force multiplier for the research enterprise, core facilities need to do more than efficiently provide services for investigators and generate revenue to recover their service costs: they must be aligned with the strategic objectives of a research university. When core facilities are organized in this way, they can facilitate recruitment of faculty and trainees; serve to retain talented faculty; drive, acquire, and maintain cutting-edge research platforms; and promote interaction and collaboration across the institution. Most importantly, cores accelerate the discovery and sharing of knowledge that are the foundation of a modern research university. This idea has been systematically implemented through the Emory Integrated Core Facilities (cores.emory.edu), which include 16 distinct core facilities and the Division of Animal Resources. Force multiplier core facilities can significantly contribute to the many essential missions necessary for the success of the research enterprise at research universities.

Data of the impact of Aligning Business, IT, and Marketing Strategies on Firm Performance.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "The Impact of Aligning Business, IT, and Marketing Strategies on Firm Performance" [1]. In order to succeed in today's competitive business environment, a firm should have a clear business strategy that is supported by other organizational strategies. While prior studies argue that strategic alignment enhances firm performance, either strategic alignment including multiple factors or strategic orientation of firms has received little attention. This study, drawing on contingency theory and configuration theory, investigates the performance impact of triadic strategic alignment among business, IT, and marketing strategies while simultaneously considers strategic orientation of firms. A research model is tested through SEM and MANOVA using data collected in a questionnaire survey of 242 Yemen managers. The findings indicate that (1) triadic strategic alignment has a positive impact on firm performance and (2) there is an ideal triadic strategic alignment for prospectors and defenders. This research contributes to strategic alignment literature and managers' understanding of how to align business, IT and marketing strategies to improve firm performance.

Healthcare IT Strategic Alignment: Challenges and Recommendations.

Information technology (IT) has dramatically transformed business processes in many industries including healthcare, where electronic health records, electronic prescribing and computerized provider order entry systems have positively changed the practice of healthcare. Recently, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia, implemented various IT systems in multiple clinical and administrative departments leading to major transformation in healthcare workflows and business processes. At the pharmacy department, many Healthcare-IT alignment challenges are still perceived. Information about challenges of strategic alignment were gathered using qualitative survey methods, through conducting semi-structures interviews, to collect opinions, experiences and suggestions. Findings were first validated, according to published literature and research work, then sorted into fourteen challenges categorized into four main areas and recommended solutions: 1) Improving organizational communication, 2) Enhancing organizational governance, 3) Specifying the alignment scope and building the architecture and 4) Developing organizational and human skills.

Adequação estratégica de projetos: o caso da Eletronuclear / Strategic fit of project management: the Eletronuclear case

Na literatura menciona-se perda significativa de recursos devido à implementação de projetos que não contribuem para os objetivos principais da empresa, por, geralmente, não terem uma conexão clara com sua estratégia. A falta de adequação dos projetos à estratégia acaba tendo assim um impacto negativo no desempenho e competitividade da empresa. Este artigo compartilha os resultados de um estudo sobre o gerenciamento de projetos (GP), na empresa estatal chamada Eletronuclear, que foi criada em 1997 para construir e operar as usinas termonucleares do país. O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a adequação estratégica do GP na empresa e identificar fatores que contribuíam e os que dificultavam a desejada adequação. Observe que por adequação estratégica entende-se alinhamento, orientação e aderência à estratégia. Utilizou-se como principal método de pesquisa o estudo de caso, coletando dados de várias fontes e por diferentes meios - investigação documental, questionário estruturado e entrevistas - para assegurar sua consistência. Os resultados apontaram fraquezas em GP na empresa, no sentido de inconsistências com sua estratégia, que evidenciaram uma falta de adequação estratégica do GP. Destacaram-se os recursos - notadamente alocação e qualidade inapropriadas - e a dificuldade de mudar para uma cultura de GP, com visão estratégica, como os maiores problemas. Ao mesmo tempo, revelaram-se iniciativas recentes, pertinentes à adoção de processos de mediação no nível estratégico de projetos e de um planejamento de portfólio de projetos, que se forem traduzidas em ações concretas, poderiam contribuir para uma melhor adequação estratégica de GP. O estudo forneceu assim subsídios para outras empresas que procuram aprimorar seu gerenciamento de projetos.