Big data analytics in strategic sales performance: mediating role of CRM capability and moderating role of leadership support

Purpose This study investigates how the combined effects of big data ability and CRM capability could impact on an organization's strategic sales performance (SSP), and how the leadership support (LS) could moderate the relationships between SSP with CRM capability and customer retention ability. Design/methodology/approach Having inputs from the literature and resource-based view (RBV) theory, a model has been developed conceptually. The conceptual model was validated statistically using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with 317 responses. Findings The study found that organizations' big data analytics (BDA) capability, along with customer relationship management (CRM) capability, positively and significantly impacts organizations' SSP. Also, the study found that LS has a moderating impact on organizations' SSP. Research limitations/implications The study cannot be generalizable, as it is cross-sectional in nature. Also, the sample size for statistically validating the model is 317, which is not large enough to generalize the study findings. The study has used only five constructs and one moderator. With more constructs and other moderators, the boundary conditions of the model could have been increased, which could result a better explanative power of the model. Practical implications This study shows that organizations' big data and CRM capabilities are important for their SSP; therefore, managers must ensure that their organization has appropriate big data and CRM capabilities. Also, the study shows the significance of LS to increase the SSP of their organizations. Thus, organizational leadership must support big data and CRM-related capabilities and ensure employees are appropriately trained to successfully use these capabilities. Originality/value Only a limited number of studies are available on the combined impact of big data capability and CRM capability on an organization's strategic sales. How BDA could help organizations to improve their SSP has not been explicitly studied. The proposed model shows that these capabilities, along with the moderating effects of LS, impact on organizations' SSP. Thus, the proposed theoretical model is a unique model, and the study is novel.