Big data analytics capability and firm performance The moderator role of firm size

In recent times, big data analytics (BDA) technologies have provided firms new opportunities and perspectives with the ability to quickly acquire large amounts of data from various source. BDA capability is defined as a firm’s ability to aggregate, integrate, and deploy big data-specific resources. As a knowledge-based dynamic capability, BDA capability is an important organizational capability that provides sustainable competitive advantage in the big data environment. While research suggests a positive relationship between BDA capability and firm performance, studies on how this relationship manifests in different contexts are limited. For example, the role of an intra-organizational factor such as firm size, which has the potential to affect firms’ decisions and behaviors, in this relationship has not been sufficiently explored. In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the moderating role of firm size in the relationship between BDA capability and firm performance, through the lens of the Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities View. To this end, a cross-sectional field study was conducted on 252 SMEs and large-scale companies in Turkey. Results indicate that firm size plays a moderating role in the relationship between BDA capability and firm performance, with the effect of BDA capability on firm performance increasing as firm size increases. The study concludes with suggestions for theorists and practitioners, and a discussion on how companies can evaluate the potential of BDA.