Business intelligence for sustainable project performance: The role of data-driven project management capabilities

Abstract

This study aims to examine Business Intelligence (BI) and its influence on Sustainable Project Performance (SPP) from the perspective of Data-Driven Project Management Capabilities (DDPMC). A capability-based view is adopted throughout the study and it is argued that BI would be more effective in terms of providing project value if the analytical information is converted into managerial capabilities and put into the project planning, monitoring, risk management, resource allocation and decision-making processes. Quantitative research with cross sectional research design was used, and 380 professionals of project-based organizations in Jordan were targeted for data collection. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed relationships. Results show that BI plays a major role in affecting DDPMC towards Sustainable Project Performance. DDPMC also has a strong positive impact on Sustainable Project Performance. Moreover, mediation analyses reveal that the link between BI and Sustainable Project Performance is partially explained by better data-driven managerial capabilities, revealing that DDPMC has a significant mediating role. The study's novel contribution is that it brings all three fields together within a single schema, and that it proposes that DDPMC is one of the significant mechanisms by which BI may contribute to economic, environmental and social project outcomes. The results also highlight the importance of organizations investing not only in BI technologies but in building their analytical and data-driven project management skills.