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Procedia
Procedia Computer
Computer Science
Science 00
00 (2023)
(2023) 000–000
000–000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
ScienceDirect www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547

5th
5th International
International Conference
Conference on
on Industry
Industry 4.0
4.0 and
and Smart
Smart Manufacturing
Manufacturing

Business analytics capabilities in digitally-enabled and non-

digitally-enabled companies in an emerging economy

Natan
Natan Oliveira
Oliveira Costa
Costa1,, Selma
1
Selma Oliveira
Oliveira2*,, Evaldo
2*
Evaldo Rodrigues
3
Rodrigues3
1,2Fluminense
Fluminense Federal
Federal University,
University, Volta
Volta Redonda,
Redonda, Rio
Rio de
de Janeiro,
Janeiro, Brasil
1,2
Brasil
3University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, Brasil
3
University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, Brasil

*Corresponding
*Corresponding

Abstract
Abstract

The
The excess
excess ofof data
data has
has led
led industries
industries to to develop
develop their
their capabilities
capabilities to to exploit
exploit the
the value
value ofof data
data and
and gain
gain competitive
competitive advantage.
advantage. In In
this
this context, business analysis has become substantive for this purpose in several domains. Surprisingly, business analytics
context, business analysis has become substantive for this purpose in several domains. Surprisingly, business analytics has
has
been at
been at the
the top
top of
of the
the corporate
corporate agenda.
agenda. While
While the
the potential
potential benefits
benefits ofof business
business analytics
analytics are
are widely
widely highlighted
highlighted in in cutting-edge
cutting-edge
literature,
literature, little
little is
is known
known about
about the
the prominence
prominence of of analytics
analytics capabilities
capabilities for
for business
business resilience
resilience during
during and
and after
after the
the COVID
COVID 19 19
pandemic
pandemic (new normal) in emerging markets. This study examines the relevance of business analytics capabilities to the resilience
(new normal) in emerging markets. This study examines the relevance of business analytics capabilities to the resilience
and economic
and economic performance
performance of of digitally-enabled
digitally-enabled and and non-digitally
non-digitally enabled
enabled companies
companies in in an
an emerging
emerging economy.
economy. Using Using aa
questionnaire, primary
questionnaire, primary data
data was
was collected
collected from
from digitally
digitally enabled
enabled national
national and
and multinational
multinational companies
companies in in the
the Brazilian
Brazilian context.
context.
The
The results
results ofof this
this study
study suggest
suggest that
that analytical
analytical capabilities
capabilities areare substantive
substantive to to the
the resilience
resilience ofof digitally
digitally enabled
enabled multinational
multinational
companies,
companies, withwith anan emphasis
emphasis on on tangible,
tangible, human
human andand operational
operational capabilities.
capabilities. This
This study
study fills
fills aa gap
gap in
in the
the literature
literature and
and makes
makes
significant contributions: (i) it highlights the protagonism of business analytical capabilities in digitally
significant contributions: (i) it highlights the protagonism of business analytical capabilities in digitally enabled multinational enabled multinational
companies, during
companies, during and
and after
after the
the COVID
COVID 19 19 pandemic
pandemic in in an
an emerging
emerging economy;
economy; (ii)(ii) serves
serves as
as aa guide
guide for
for managers
managers whenwhen choosing
choosing
capabilities;
capabilities; (iii)
(iii) sheds
sheds light
light on
on non-digitally
non-digitally enabled
enabled national
national companies
companies to to achieve
achieve resilience
resilience inin their
their businesses
businesses in in times
times ofof crises
crises
such as the COVID 19 pandemic; and (iv) expands the literature on business analytical
such as the COVID 19 pandemic; and (iv) expands the literature on business analytical capabilities.. capabilities..
©
© 2023
2023The The Authors.
TheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by
by ELSEVIER
ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
© 2024 Published by Elsevier
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) B.V. B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)
This is an open access article under thethe scientific
CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)
Peer-review
Peer-review under responsibility
responsibilityofof
underresponsibility of committee of the 5th
5th International Conference on
on Industry 4.0 and Smart
Peer-review under thethe scientific
scientific committee
committee of 5th
of the theInternational
International Conference
Conference on Industry Industry
4.0 and4.0 andManufacturing
Smart Smart
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Keywords: Analytical
Keywords: Analytical capabilities,
capabilities, business
business resilience,
resilience, big
big analytical
analytical data,
data, resources,
resources, national
national and
and multinational
multinational companies,
companies, digital
digital technologies,
technologies,
COVID 19
COVID 19 and
and new-normal,
new-normal, emerging
emerging economy,
economy, Brazil.
Brazil.

1.
1. Introduction
Introduction

Although
Although the
the potential
potential benefits
benefits of
of business
business analytics
analytics capabilities
capabilities (BAC)have
(BAC)have been
been widely
widely publicized,
publicized, little
little is
is known
known
about
about the business analytics capabilities and economic performance of companies in emerging economies such
the business analytics capabilities and economic performance of companies in emerging economies such as
as
1877-0509
1877-0509 ©© 2023
2023 The
The Authors.
Authors. Published
Published byby ELSEVIER
ELSEVIER B.V.
B.V. This
This is
is an
an open
open access
access article
article under
under the
the CC
CC BY-NC-ND
BY-NC-ND license
license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)
Peer-review under
Peer-review under responsibility
responsibility of
of the
the scientific
scientific committee
committee of
of the
the 5th
5th International
International Conference
Conference on
on Industry
Industry 4.0
4.0 and
and Smart
Smart Manufacturing
Manufacturing

1877-0509 © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0)
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 5th International Conference on Industry 4.0 and
Smart Manufacturing
10.1016/j.procs.2024.01.151
 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547 1539
2 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000

Brazil. This study relates business analytics capabilities to the economic performance and resilience of digitally
enabled and data-driven Brazilian national and multinational companies, during the COVID 19 pandemic and after
the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal).
Considering the instability caused by the pandemic in competitive markets, it is not possible to ignore how analytical
capabilities are enabling changes in the means by which companies seek to generate critical data, as well as the way
in which they use such data in their environment [1, 2] for decision making. At the same time, it is necessary to
consider the high importance of efficiency in the use of this data, as well as the possibility of maintaining greater
stability in the midst of the crisis caused by COVID 19, business results, it becomes necessary to understand in depth
what analytical capabilities are. The cutting-edge literature argues that analytical capabilities are related to an
intelligent means of business management, enabled by a set of methods aligned with technology and their proper
applications, which allow the analysis of data extracted from the company [3, 4]. In this way, it becomes
understandable that analytical capabilities can be used as a driver that helps decision-making by managers of these
companies. The factor in which business analytical capacity is inserted is the company to become driven by data in
an effective and reliable way, considering the complexity of this application in practice and the involvement of all
managerial areas that are necessary [5].
Thus, achieving the ability to apply these data extractions and analyze them correctly has the potential to be a key
that can generate a competitive advantage for the company and, consequently, the difference in facing changes from
external agents through these capabilities. Business analytics often goes by different names, eg [4] suggest in their
study, 18 terms. In this study, business analytical capacity can be understood as the application of management tools,
with the use of technology and correlated methods that allow the analysis of high-level data [3, 1]. In this way, business
analytical capabilities are based on tools made available by information technology (IT) and have the ability to analyze
by statistical means that enable their translation into reports accurately [6] [4].
Understanding business analytics capabilities for the performance of both digitally-enabled, data-driven and non-
digitally-enabled, data-driven enterprises is a relevant priority for several reasons: (i) Business analytics capabilities
have the potential to reshape operations and management of companies [7]; and (ii) business analytics can enhance
performance and competitive advantage in companies [8] [5]. Thus, business analytics is a key component of
contemporary digitally enabled companies. Any discussion of smart companies that does not consider business
analytics would be incomplete.
Previous studies have signaled positive impacts of business analytics capabilities on circular economy performance
[5] and impacts of big data analytics capabilities and competitive advantage performance [8] and firm performance
[7, 9]. Understanding what economic performance is, it is also necessary to understand business process performance
(BPP), which can be considered a middle ground between business analytics and economic performance, which
positively impacts business performance [9]. However, these studies focused on developed and underdeveloped
economies. Thus, there is a lack of proposals for emerging economies. This study explores data-driven, digitally-
enabled smart multi-national companies and non-digitally-enabled traditional national large companies. Thus,
business analytics capabilities can provide opportunities to improve economic performance and resilience during the
COVID 19 pandemic and post-COVID 19 pandemic (new normal). In this way, it is interesting and necessary to better
understand how economic performance and resiliency can be achieved in data-driven environments. At the same time,
it is necessary to understand whether analytical capabilities can improve the economic performance and resilience of
non-digitally enabled companies and non-data-driven decisions, during the pandemic and after the COVID 19
pandemic. In this study, smart companies are considered companies whose decisions are based on data to generate
insights for decision making.
By revealing more insights and improving decision-making, organizational performance can be more effective,
both from an economic point of view and for organizations to achieve resilience in a context of uncertainty caused by
the COVID 19 pandemic crisis. This research has as a key issue to be resolved: What are the effects of business
analytical capabilities on economic performance and business resilience from the perspective of large, intelligent and
data-driven large national and multinational companies installed in Brazil. Thus, the question that motivates this article
is: how did business analytical capabilities affect economic performance and resilience in national and multinational
companies located in Brazil, digitally enabled and data driven? This study presents contributions: (i) it advances the
body of knowledge about the analytical capabilities of business in emerging economies; (ii) improves understanding
of the relevance of business analytical capabilities to economic performance and resilience in times of uncertainty, as
it was during the COVID 19 pandemic and post-COVID 19; and (iii) serves as a guide to managers on which business
1540 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000 3

capabilities should be prioritized to improve economic performance and resiliency in digitally-enabled, data-driven
smart enterprises as well as in non-digitally-enabled national enterprises. The next section presents some insights from
the literature. It then discusses the research methodology. Next, it presents the results; and finally, it presents the
discussions, conclusions, implications, limitations and future research directions.

2 Literature Review

2.1 COVID 19 and Business Analytics Capability

The COVID 19 outbreak has had severe economic consequences across the world and it does not appear that any
country will be affected [10]. And this had no consequences for the economy; but the entire of society has been
affected, including business. The literature suggests that the situation generated a disproportionate crisis, not only in
Brazil, but worldwide. Abruptly, COVID-19 has paralyzed, and even devastated, countless industries. In environments
of uncertainty, companies have become vulnerable to economic impacts. Therefore, responding quickly and promptly
required response capabilities from companies. The repertoire of adaptive skills to deal with the crisis was decisive
for the continuity of the business. Thus, having business analytical capabilities was a determining factor in achieving
resilience in times of crisis, making it possible to emerge from the crisis to achieve recovery and satisfactory economic
performance. Existing studies suggest that business analytics with its technologies, methods and applications have
allowed to amplify business data analysis for decision making based on solid evidence. [2] argue that many companies
invest considerable resources in developing business analysis capabilities to improve their performance. Business
analytics affects the performance of companies in different ways. Business analytics is reshaping the way companies
are generating and using data [1] to drive value.
The literature highlights the prominence of business analysis for creating value, allowing predictions and
prescriptions to be made through various sources and large-scale data. This study considers business analytics and big
data analytics in a unified way [11], which highlights a company's proficiency in effectively leveraging its data,
technology, and talent for generating data-driven insights [11]. [12] also highlights that there is a growing interest
among professionals and academics in this subject given its potential to create value in several domains. Data analysis
is a holistic approach to manage, process and analyze data, aiming to create insights[13] and allow organizations to
predict changes based on market requirements and respond to them quickly[14]. This involves the use of capabilities
and technologies to collect, transform, analyze and interpret data to support decision making [2]. [15] argue that
business analysis capabilities have a positive impact on innovative business models. It is also highlighted in the
literature that business analytical capability influences the logic and strategic objectives of companies, rather than
depending on them, thus playing a significant role in creating value for companies and their stakeholders [15]. [3,4]
describe business analysis capabilities as the intelligent form of management that allows better decision making by
company management.
In other words [3, 1], analytical capabilities are the application of management tools using technology to do so.
Therefore, this study argues that managers must decide to invest in technological tools that are effective in capturing
company data, providing the information necessary for management. However, it is necessary for management to be
able to translate the data into useful information to make the best decision. Having an efficient control of data, using
statistics for this in an efficient way and understood by management is the essential point for such IT tools to be
effective and efficient [6, 4]. The tool application part only generates the analytical part, its capacity is presumed in
the knowledge to use this information with a high performance management. [5] explain in greater detail the
importance of this statement, the need for the company to become guided by data and that for this it needs the
involvement of all management areas, as well as how we can imagine a management that is efficient and effective to
use this data correctly. Making an analogy with [11], business analytical capabilities depend on resources to reach
their full potential, as follows: tangibles (for example: data, technologies and basic resources); intangibles (e.g. data-
driven culture and learning); and human skills (e.g. technical and managerial skills). Considering that the objective of
applying business analytics is its ability to generate a desired economic performance and achieve greater resilience in
its environment [9], this study is based on the proposal of [11] which indicates tangible, intangible resources and
human skills; operational resources (e.g. technological capabilities) [7].

2.2 Business Process Performance

4 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000
Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547 1541

Business process performance (BPP) can be defined as the middle ground between business analytical capacity
and economice performance [9], as this is where the processes for applying management tools and using the data
extracted by these. It becomes the channel that condenses the information of the analytical capacity of business to
translate in the economic performance, which will be better according to the greater degree of performance in the
internal processes adopted by the management. [16] refer us to the importance of the study for the continuous
improvement of the performance of business processes, when we think of these as the path that directly affects
economic performance and performance in decision making by management, these must be constantly analyzed and
being in continuous improvement and adaptation to produce the best results.
Added to this, [9] argues that business analytical capacity directly impacts economic performance, that is, the
company's result, going through the PPN to achieve the best possible performance. Thus, in this study, all these points
are integrated and have the potential to affect the results positively and generate competitive advantage and resilience,
which is the ultimate goal to make a data-oriented company, it is necessary to have the capacity to analyze them and
optimize decision making. decision. It is also necessary to observe the importance of information technology, that is,
investment in software as management tools is essential and is directly linked with PE and dynamic capabilities [3,
12]. Thus, it is necessary to clearly understand that companies can be guided through data and achieve effective
performance, it is necessary to have quality tools and have excellent control and technical parameterization.
On the other hand, [5] suggest that companies enabled by data analytical capabilities have the potential to generate
competitive advantage, a point that culminates in the optimization of decision-making by management. Such
competitive advantage can be understood as resilience in a period of crisis, as presented in this study. Furthermore,
resilience is vital in times of crisis and can lead to competitive advantage [17]. In this COVID 19 scenario that covers
this study, competitive advantage that has the potential to be the road to guide companies out of the financial crisis.
Drawing a parallel with the analytical capabilities of big data, [8] showed in their study, the relationship between big
data analytical capabilities in business-oriented competitive advantage performance. Tangible capabilities, human
skills and intangible capabilities, dynamic capabilities and operational capabilities were adopted by [8]. Competitive
advantage performance is achieved through big data analytics capabilities. Other authors [7] also showed that big data
analytical capabilities affect the performance of firms. This study adopts the business analytical capabilities proposed
in the study by [8].

2. Methodology

This study was developed in two stages: 1 – based on the literature, in which the Web of Science, Scopus, Emerald
and Science Direct databases were used, a literature review was carried out to identify studies that addressed business
analytical capabilities and organizational resilience. The literature search was carried out using the keywords: business
analytics, business analytics capacity and big data analysis capacity. The study was mainly based on the studies of
[5,7,8]. 2 - A field survey was carried out using a questionnaire prepared from the literature and structured in two
parts: Part I – General information about the respondents, such as position in the company, length of experience in the
position, education and area of training; and Part II – Information on the business analytical capabilities and resilience
(economic performance) of companies. The questionnaire was tested with three business professionals. The clarity of
the wording of the questionnaire variables was checked. The experts reported no significant difficulties when
answering the questionnaire and considered the questionnaire adequate in terms of content and structure. Some
sentences were adjusted when refining the final instrument, with small changes in punctuation, length of statements
or clarity. The business analytical capabilities construct was measured using a five-point Likert scale referring to the
level of influence exerted by the capabilities (1 = not at all relevant and 5 = very relevant).
Previous studies have shown the effects of business analytical capabilities in other domains [5, 7] through tangible
capabilities, human skills, intangibles, and operational capabilities. This study considered business analytical
capabilities as capabilities: tangible, human skills, intangible and operational capabilities, with the content of the
questions modified in relation to the original by [8] and [5]. The business result construct was measured by economic
performance through profitability and rate of return on investment (ROI) and resilience. In short, the questionnaire
was prepared based on a 5 (five) point Likert scale, focusing on the context of the COVID 19 pandemic and the new
normal (post-pandemic), structured in 25 questions. The questionnaire was aimed at national and multinational
companies located in Brazil. The mapping of respondents was carried out through the National Confederation of
1542 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000 5

Industry Portal and the professional network LinkedIn, with a profile focused on the business area: Administrative,
Accounting, Tax, Finance, Engineering and/or Controllership. Questionnaires were submitted to 227 companies, 22
returnees, 11 smart multinationals and 11 large companies. A link with access to the invitation letter was sent to
interviewees through LinkedIn connections. The content of the letter contained the requirements and details of the
research, as well as the link to access the collection form. The data was processed using descriptive statistics. Figure
1 shows the results of general information from experts and companies surveyed.

Transpo
rt; 9.09 Health; Enginee
ring;
9.09
9.09
Automo
tive;
Others; 9.09
45.45 Manage
ment; Account
Financia 36.36 ing
l; 27.27 Sciences
; 54.54

Fig. 1a: Sectors Fig. 1b: Educational level

Financial
Manage
ment
and More
than 10
Coordina
1 to 3 years;
tion(; Controlli 7 to 9
years; 18.18
27.27 ng; 27.27 years;
45.45
9.09
Business Overall 4 to 6
Manage coordina years;
ment; tion; 27.27
9.09 27.27
Board of
Directors
; 9.09

Fig.1c: Occupation Fig.1d: Time experience

National;
36.36
Multinationa
l; 63.63

Fig.1e: Category of companies

Fig. 1. Results of general information from experts and companies surveyed.
 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547 1543
6 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000

The area of activity of the surveyed companies corresponds to 36% with national companies and 64% with
multinational companies. The research sample corresponds to 22 respondents. The majority (46%) of the companies
belong to the transport sector, followed by the financial sector (27%) and 9% of the other sectors. The majority
(54.54%) of respondents have an educational level in accounting sciences (45.45%), followed by administration (36%)
and 9% engineering. In addition, most respondents have experience between 1 and 3 years (46%), 27% with
experience between 4 and 6 years, 9% with experience between 7 and 9 years, and 18% with experience over 10 years.
In addition, 9% hold management positions; 27% of the respondents hold positions of general management,
coordinators and controllers.

4. Results Analysis
Using descriptive statistics, this section presents the research results. Thus, Figure 2 shows the descriptive (mean,
standard deviation and internal consistency coefficient) results of the relevance of business analytical capabilities for
resilience and economic performance during and after the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal).

2 Mean
SD
1

0
Tangibles Humans Intangibles Operational

Fig.2: Results of Business Analytics Capabilities as a 'driver' for resilience and economic performance

On average, the results presented in Figure 2 show that business analytical capabilities were moderately relevant
to resilience and economic performance during and after the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal), with an emphasis
on tangible capabilities (M=3, 65; SD=0.88) and human (M=3.7; SD=1.1). Furthermore, the reliability of the sample
is greater than α = 0.82, considered substantial according to [18]. Figure 3 highlights the results of the average business
analytical capabilities of national and multinational companies: tangible, human, intangible and operational - during
and after the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal).

10
10
8
5
6
4
0 2
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10E11
0
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11
Multinational Companies

National Companies National Multinational

Fig. 3a: Tangibles Fig. 3b: Humans

1544 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000 7

12
8 10
6 8
6
4
4
2 2
0 0
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10E11 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11

National Multinational National Multinational

Fig.3c: Intangibles Fig. 3d: Operational

Fig. 3: Relevance of Business Analytical Capabilities for Resilience and Economic Performance - National and Multinational Companies (Mean)

The results reveal that the business analytical capabilities of multinational corporations are more substantive:
tangibles - M=4.54; humanities - M=4.54; intangibles - M=4.27; and operational - M=4.5. On the other hand, the
business analytical capabilities of national companies achieved results below the average for all dimensions (tangibles
- M=2.77; human - M=2.86; intangibles - M=2.63, with the exception of capabilities operational (M=3.59). Figure 4
shows the results of economic performance and resilience affected by business analytical capabilities during the
COVID 19 pandemic and after the COVID 19 pandemic (new normal).

6
6
5
4 4
3
2 2
1
0 0
E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 E10 E11

National Multinational National Multinational

Fig.4a: COVID Fig.4b: New Normal

Fig. 4: Economic performance and resilience by category of companies – National and Multinational – during the pandemic and after
the pandemic (new normal)

Comparatively, multinational companies have superior economic performance and resilience than national
companies installed in Brazil, during (M=4.45) and after the pandemic (new normal) (M=4.40). The economic
performance and resilience of national companies averaged 2.45 during and 2.86 after the pandemic (new normal).
These findings are in line with the prestigious literature [7, 8], signaling that managers of these categories of companies
have no other path to follow but to focus their efforts on resources for the development of data-driven analytical
capabilities to underpin competitive advantages. Digitally enabled multinational companies gather a wide variety of
unstructured data and convert it into actionable information that allows companies to make informed decisions that
improve business efficiency and productivity [19]. Additionally, these companies leverage business analytical
capabilities to generate insights for their decision-making.
5 Discussion and Conclusion
The conclusions obtained in this study contribute to the pioneering literature by shedding light on the relevance of
business analytical capabilities for economic performance and resilience in an emerging market. The findings suggest
that digitally enabled multinational companies were able to better leverage their capabilities and achieve better
economic performance and resilience during and after the COVID 19 pandemic. Thus, the results of this study indicate
that business analytical capabilities are a driver for coping with the effects of the economic impacts caused by the
COVID 19 pandemic for multinational companies, whose decisions are guided by reliable data. Tangible and human
 Natan Oliveira Costa et al. / Procedia Computer Science 232 (2024) 1538–1547 1545
8 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2023) 000–000

analytical capabilities are more relevant for data-based decision making, allowing us to reduce the negative impacts
of the COVID 19 pandemic on economic results and achieve business resilience. We also found that operational
capabilities affect companies' economic results in a moderately strong way, due to their potential market knowledge,
large-scale economy and efficient and effective specialized knowledge in digital technologies. At the same time, we
have found business analytics capabilities to be effective for economic outcomes and achieving organizational
resilience during and after the COVID 19 pandemic – new normal. The findings mentioned in this study have
implications for theory and practice.

5.1 Theoretical contributions

Previous studies focused on business analytics capabilities [5] and big data analytics capabilities [8] have
categorized capabilities into tangibles, intangibles and human skills. These studies highlight that analytical capabilities
improve business results and enhance competitive advantages in both developed and underdeveloped economies.
Based on the definition of business analytical capabilities proposed by [20] and [12] and implemented by [8], the
present study considers the relevance of business analytical capabilities to achieve the economic performance and
resilience of smart multinational companies and national companies in an emerging economy during and after the
critical period of the COVID 19 pandemic that digitally enabled multinational corporations in Brazil were prominent
in reducing the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on economic outcomes and achieving resilience, both during and
after the pandemic, due to the alignment of their business analytical capabilities. In addition, large multinational
companies have a culture and make decisions driven by data.
The results of this study indicate that all capabilities are substantially relevant to the performance of competitive
advantage in the context of these multinational corporations (Tangible – M=4.54; Human – M=4.54; Intangible –
M=4.27; and Operational - M=4 ,5). On the other hand, national companies showed low relevance of business
analytical capabilities for competitive performance (economic performance and resilience) (Intangibles - M=2.45;
human - 2.86). Thus, the results found for smart multinational companies are in line with the prestigious literature [8,
5]. However, the results are inconsistent with the dominant literature when the study is oriented towards national
companies, which do not have a data-driven culture. The study's findings advance the understanding of the theoretical
lens in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, showing that companies that focus their efforts on business analytical
capabilities can reduce the economic impacts produced by crises such as the COVID 19 pandemic, that suggests that
business analytical capabilities have become potential mechanisms to generate competitive advantage for businesses.
Therefore, the findings of our study advance the literature arguments on how companies leverage economic outcomes
and achieve resilience through the business analytical capabilities considered in this study to remain relevant and
competitive in the markets. To sum it up, our study helps advance the field of knowledge by signaling the relationship
between business analytics capabilities and economic performance and resilience for digitally enabled businesses and
non-digitally enabled businesses.

5.2 Practical contributions

The results of this study have relevant implications for practice. First, the results provide critical insights into how
business analytics capabilities affect competitive performance, as measured by profitability, return on investment and
resilience of intelligent national and multinational companies based in Brazil. The results of our study serve as a guide
for managers to develop strategies to enhance business analytical capabilities through strategic partnerships, aiming
to create value and meet the expectations of customers and their stakeholders. In other words, our study suggests that
companies effectively manage business analytics capabilities, and this can be addressed through collaborative
relationships with strategic partners to share technology resources, expertise and generate value for themselves by
improving their analytics capabilities to drive their innovations and generate value for its customers and stakeholders.
Thus, we call on managers to focus their efforts on business analytical capabilities by investing organizational
resources for companies to achieve better competitive performance.
5.3 Limitations and future research directions
Although our study has numerous implications for theory and practice, as mentioned above, it is not without
limitations. First, this study adopted business analytical capabilities based on the proposal by [8]. Also, this study
expands the research area of business analytical capabilities by adapting the questionnaire used by [8] to correlate
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with analytical big data, aiming to expand the possibility of analyzing business analytical capabilities to other contexts.
Thus, our findings reflect the analytical capabilities adopted in this study. We suggest the adoption of other dimensions
of business analytical capabilities highlighted by other high-quality literature for a better understanding of the
importance or effect of business analytical capabilities on competitive performance, through economic results and
resilience; and prioritize the most effective capabilities. Second, in this study we adopted economic performance and
resilience as the competitive performance. Future studies would be interesting to adopt other variables to measure
competitive performance, such as social and environmental performance. Third, the approach of this study considers
two time periods: during (cutoff: 2020-2021) and after the COVID 19 pandemic crisis (new normal) (from 2022). We
suggest longitudinal studies with different future time cuts to examine how competitive performance is affected over
time. Fourth, this study adopts as a sample, digitally enabled national and multinational companies installed in Brazil,
which indicates that we cannot generalize the results of this research to all countries in the emerging market, developed
market or underdeveloped market. Thus, future studies should empirically examine other economies in order to
compare competitive performance results from an economic point of view. Also, the results achieved in this study are
from a sample that is not very expressive. We suggest substantially expanding the sample size in future studies.
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