Investigating The Challenges of Adopting Data Analytics In Zimbabwe's Retail Sector

The retail sector is experiencing unprecedented volatility, uncertainty and ambiguity, and these culminated in the closure of some of its notable giants due to the global financial crisis and the novel corona virus pandemic. This paper uses Organisational Mindfulness (OM) and Resource Based View (RBV) to investigate the adoption of data analytics in developing countries using data from Zimbabwe's retail sector. The results showed that while some industries use big data analytics (BDA), its adoption remains an insurmountable task for some Zimbabwean retailers due to infrastructural, resource and other technical challenges. It revealed that successful adoption of BDA in the retail sector can help change business operations, including the ability to match customer expectations, hone product lines and improve marketing campaigns. © 2022 IEEE.

The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose>This research aims to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour of small business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six small business leaders from various sectors to explore and better grasp the unprecedented phenomenon. An online survey on small business owners and managers in Indonesia was then employed as the main study, resulting in 291 valid responses for further analysis. The data were analysed using regression on SmartPLS 3.0 software.Findings>This research finds that organisational mindfulness and social learning have positive and significant associations with the ability of small business leaders to discover and exploit opportunities. The path analysis suggests that organisational mindfulness plays a pivotal role as it also partially mediates the relationship between social learning and opportunistic behaviour.Originality/value>This is the first paper to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This work also contributes by emphasising the critical linkages between internal and external capabilities triggered by small business leaders to survive the pandemic.

Data Evolution in Times of Crisis: an Organisational Mindfulness Perspective.

The Covid-19 pandemic illustrates that we are never far away from situations that have a scale and impact, which are difficult to predict. Positioned at the intersection of crisis management and resilience, this insider case-study provides the opportunity for a more complete understanding of the organisation-adversity relationship (Williams et al., 2017), by focusing on the third Covid19 wave in Ireland (Dec 2020) and resulting response by an Intensive Care Unit crisis team. The study examines the evolution of seven data supply chains that were developed to support the ICU crisis team through the surge of cases which put the highest level of strain on the Irish health system since the pandemic began. The study focuses on 289 data reviews, which triggered 63 changes each requiring a new iteration of a data supply chain. Incorporating Organisational Mindfulness as the theoretical framework, the study provides an insight into the realities of data management during a crisis but also provides a rich awareness of the complexities of data management that often go unrecognised. In doing so, the study contributes the concept of 'mindful data', which aids managers to understand the key characteristics of resilient data supply chains. The study also provides a rare first-hand insight into how mindful data was constructed, presented, and evolved into an essential element within the critical care environment.

The effect of small business leaders' organisational mindfulness and social learning on opportunistic behaviour to survive the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose This research aims to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour of small business leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six small business leaders from various sectors to explore and better grasp the unprecedented phenomenon. An online survey on small business owners and managers in Indonesia was then employed as the main study, resulting in 291 valid responses for further analysis. The data were analysed using regression on SmartPLS 3.0 software. Findings This research finds that organisational mindfulness and social learning have positive and significant associations with the ability of small business leaders to discover and exploit opportunities. The path analysis suggests that organisational mindfulness plays a pivotal role as it also partially mediates the relationship between social learning and opportunistic behaviour. Originality/value This is the first paper to test the relationships between organisational mindfulness, social learning and opportunistic behaviour, particularly in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. This work also contributes by emphasising the critical linkages between internal and external capabilities triggered by small business leaders to survive the pandemic.