On the Need for and Conceptualizations of Big Data Analytics Capabilities

Big Data and Big Data Analytics (BDA) techniques play a pivotal role in the course of the ongoing digital transformation. In contrast, the fact that organizations need to develop capabilities to take advantage of these technological advances receives much less attention. In the context of previous waves of applying advanced information technologies (IT) the concept of IT capabilities has been frequently used to emphasize the importance of a well-orchestrated interplay of different resources and organizational capabilities. However, there is no current overview of what is needed to develop effective BDA capabilities (BDACs) and to what extent previously proposed concepts may be applied. Hence, this study aims at identifying and analyzing specific aspects that are relevant to BDACs within the management context. To this end, we apply a systematic review of early papers on BDACs, relate the results to previous concepts, propose a comprehensive framework, which combines antecedents, dimensions, and outcomes of BDACs, and provide suggestions for future research.