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The strategic management literature emphasizes the concept of business intelligence (BI) as an essential competitive tool. Yet the sustainability of the firms’ competitive advantage provided by BI capability is not well researched. To fill this gap, this study attempts to develop a model for successful BI deployment and empirically examines the association between BI deployment and sustainable competitive advantage. Taking the telecommunications industry in Malaysia as a case example, the research particularly focuses on the influencing perceptions held by telecommunications decision makers and executives on factors that impact successful BI deployment. The research further investigates the relationship between successful BI deployment and sustainable competitive advantage of the telecommunications organizations. Another important aim of this study is to determine the effect of moderating factors such as organization culture, business strategy, and use of BI tools on BI deployment and the sustainability of firm’s competitive advantage.

This research uses combination of resource-based theory and diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory to examine BI success and its relationship with firm’s sustainability. The research adopts the positivist paradigm and a two-phase sequential mixed method consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches are employed. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. The chapter presents a qualitative field study to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. The study includes a survey study with sample of business analysts and decision makers in telecommunications firms and is analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling.

The findings reveal that some internal resources of the organizations such as BI governance and the perceptions of BI’s characteristics influence the successful deployment of BI. Organizations that practice good BI governance with strong moral and financial support from upper management have an opportunity to realize the dream of having successful BI initiatives in place. The scope of BI governance includes providing sufficient support and commitment in BI funding and implementation, laying out proper BI infrastructure and staffing and establishing a corporate-wide policy and procedures regarding BI. The perceptions about the characteristics of BI such as its relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, and observability are also significant in ensuring BI success. The most important results of this study indicated that with BI successfully deployed, executives would use the knowledge provided for their necessary actions in sustaining the organizations’ competitive advantage in terms of economics, social, and environmental issues.

This study contributes significantly to the existing literature that will assist future BI researchers especially in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. In particular, the model will help practitioners to consider the resources that they are likely to consider when deploying BI. Finally, the applications of this study can be extended through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

The evolving information systems (IS) field has been the subject of much research and observation in recent years. Much of the work has been US based. By contrast, this empirical survey analyses the current state of IS practices within UK‐based organizations. The survey evaluates the extent of computer usage within the UK at a general level, as well as focusing on specific areas such as management support systems, IS strategic planning and strategic alignment of business and IS. Where possible, compares the results of this survey with previous surveys and forecasts, and analyses differences. Identifies topics worthy of further investigation.

The authors have attempted to understand how big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) can help retain employees in the organization.

This study is grounded in the positivism philosophy. The authors have used a resource-based view (RBV) to develop their research hypotheses. The authors tested their research hypotheses using primary data gathered using a single-informant questionnaire. The authors obtained 254 usable responses. The authors performed the assumptions test, performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the validity of the proposed theoretical model, and further tested their research hypotheses using hierarchical regression analysis.

The statistical result suggests that the various human resource management strategies play a significant role in improving retention under the mediating effect of the BDPA.

The authors have grounded their study in the positivism philosophy. Moreover, the authors tested their hypotheses using single-informant cross-sectional data. Hence, the authors cannot ignore the effects of the common method bias on their research findings. Moreover, the research findings are based on a particular setting. Thus, the authors caution the readers that their findings must be examined in the light of their study limitations.

The study provided empirical findings based on survey data. Hence, the authors provide numerous guidelines to the practitioners that how the organization can invest in creating BDPA that helps analyze complex data to extract meaningful and relevant information. This information related to employee turnaround may guide top management to reduce the dissatisfaction level among the employees working in high-stress environments resulting from a high degree of uncertainty.

The study helps understand the complex factors that affect the morale of the employee. In the high-paced environment, the employees are often exposed to various negative forces that affect their morale which further affect their productivity. Due to lack of awareness and adequate information, most of the employees and their issues are not dealt with effectively and efficiently by their line managers. Thus, the BDPA can help tackle the most complex problem of society in a significant way.

This study offers some useful contributions to the literature which attempts to unfold the complex nexus between human resource management, information management and strategy. The study contributes to the BDPA literature and how it helps in the retention of employees is one of the areas which still remains elusive to the academic community. Moreover, the managers are still skeptical about the application of BDPA in understanding human-related issues due to a lack of understanding of how and to what extent the employee-related information can be stored and processed. This study’s findings further open the new avenues of research that need to be tackled.

Both the dietitian and the food manufacturer have realised that food acceptability is just as important as nutrient content. It will therefore be useful to look at some of the sociological factors involved in food acceptability. Most people would think that provided the sensory qualities of the food—taste, smell, appearance and texture—were not undesirable, then this would be sufficient. This is not the case, and in fact is tackling the problem at the wrong end.

The first Annual General Meeting of the Institute of Factory Management was held at the Buckingham Room, Charing Cross Hotel, London, on Thursday, 17th August. All Members were notified well in advance of the statutory 14 days, and a copy of the Council Report and Institute Accounts was sent to each Member.

In the past several decades, Taiwanese companies have been successful in the world market. However, knowledge about how these firms use information technology is very limited. Investigates the application of decision support systems (DSS) and executive information systems (EIS) in Taiwan. Two mail surveys were conducted to explore who used the system, where the systems were applied, what decision models were used and reasons for not using these systems. The results indicate that: more than 20 per cent of the firms already used DSS or EIS and an additional 37 per cent had plans to adopt them shortly; 87 per cent of the firms considered DSS and EIS to be important to their competitiveness; middle‐ and lower‐level managers were major DSS and EIS users; half of them used the system every day; the most troublesome problem in developing DSS/EIS was the difficulty in determining information requirements; and information aggregation and what‐if analysis were major functions for decision support. Furthermore, quantitative models were employed only in large and old companies. The most popular models included linear programming, PERT/CPM, and regression analysis, whereas the most popular domains for application were finance and production management.

The purpose of this paper is to predict implementation cost contingencies for residential construction projects in flood-prone areas, where floods with storms frequently cause serious damage and problems for people.

Expert interviews are conducted to identify the study variables. Based on bills of quantities and project documents, historical data on residential construction projects in flood-prone areas are collected. Pearson correlation analysis is first used to check the correlations among the study variables. To overcome multicollinearity, principal component analysis is used. Then, stepwise multiple regression analysis is used to develop the cost prediction model. Finally, non-parametric bootstrap method is used to develop range estimation of the implementation cost.

A list of project-related variables, which could significantly affect implementation costs of residential construction projects in flood-prone areas, is identified. A model, which is developed based on an integration of principle component analysis and regression analysis, is robust. Regarding range estimation, 10, 50 and 90 percent cost estimates, which could provide information about the uncertainty levels in the estimates, are established. Furthermore, implementation cost contingencies which could show information about the variability in the estimates are determined for example case projects. Such information could be critical to cost-related management of residential construction projects in flood-prone areas.

This study attempts to predict implementation cost contingencies for residential construction projects in flood-prone areas using non-parametric bootstrap method. Such contingencies could be useful for project cost budgeting and/or effective cost management.

The purpose of this paper is to problematize the need for debate in operationalizing the planetary boundaries framework when accounting for the Anthropocene.

This paper’s aim is achieved through a literature review focusing on the assumptions around the Anthropocene, planetary boundaries and organizations. The author conducted an integrated review of 91 documents discussing the operationalization of the planetary boundaries framework and the need for debate.

This paper develops two major findings. First, the author identifies the four main dimensions of the planetary boundaries that need to be debated: social, normative, narrative and control aspects. Second, the author exposes proposals in the literature that have the potential to fuel the debate, but which are themselves a source of debate.

This paper argues that, while being scientifically informed, the planetary boundaries framework leaves decision-makers with critical choices and decisions that need to be openly debated. This paper identifies some relevant proposals for doing so.

This paper underlines the need to open forums of debate for scientists and other stakeholders to raise the democratic legitimacy of the planetary boundaries framework.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the very first papers to investigate dimensions of the planetary boundaries that need to be debated to respond to the challenge of its operationalization.

Big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) has received great attention in terms of its role in making business decisions. However, current knowledge on BDPA regarding how it might link organizational capabilities and organizational performance (OP) remains unclear. Drawing from the resource-based view, the purpose of this paper is to propose a model to examine how information technology (IT) deployment (i.e. strategic IT flexibility, business–BDPA partnership and business–BDPA alignment) and HR capabilities affect OP through BDPA.

To test the proposed hypotheses, structural equation modeling is applied on survey data collected from 159 Indian firms.

The results show that BDPA diffusion mediates the influence of IT deployment and HR capabilities on OP. In addition, there is a direct effect of IT deployment and HR capabilities on BDPA diffusion, which also has a direct relationship with OP.

Through this study, authors demonstrate that IT deployment and HR capabilities have an indirect impact on OP through BDPA diffusion.

The purpose of this paper is to describe an agile approach to academic analytics that is currently being applied on one of the campuses of a leading higher educational institution in the Caribbean. This agile approach enables the rapid development of a strategic analytics roadmap and proof-of-concept analytics applications for the institution.

The approach was developed using Design Science which involves the development and rigorous evaluation of an artifact. The agile approach is the artifact and the design evaluation was done using the observational method of primary cases studies where the artifact is studied in depth in a business environment, in this case this was a leading higher educational institution in the Caribbean.

The final output, the roadmap, highlights the importance of a balanced portfolio of analytics initiatives, relevant and tailored to the institution’s specific context that includes technology and applications projects, as well as capacity building, organizational structures and policy initiatives.

The approach that was used and the specific techniques proposed can be extended by other researchers and in so doing will increase the body of research as it relates to agile analytics.

The approach will be beneficial to educational institutions that are considering how best to harness the strategic value of its data. The analytics roadmap will allow the institution to be clear about the path they should take to maximize their investments in analytics initiatives.

A number of existing well-accepted research techniques have been synthesized in the development and application of this agile approach. The approach and final roadmap consider the institution’s readiness for and understanding of what is involved in analytics before investing significant resources in its adoption.