Purpose: In this digital age, the rapid technological innovation and adoption, with the increasing use of big data analytics, has raised concerns about the ability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to sustain the competition and innovation performance (IP). To narrow the research gap, this paper investigates the role of big data analytics capability (BDAC) in moderating the relationship between digital innovation (DI) and SME innovation performance.Design/methodology/approach: This research has been carried forward through a detailed theory and literature analysis. Data were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models using a two-stage approach in smartPLS-4.Findings: Results highlight that digital service capability (DSC) significantly mediates the relationship between DI and IP. Additionally, value co-creation (VCC) directly affects digital transformation (DT), while DI has a stronger effect on DSC than IP. Furthermore, BDAC significantly moderates the relation between DSC → IP and DT → IP, whereas it has a detrimental effect on the relation between DI and IP. In addition to that, VCC, DSC, DT, DI and BDAC have a direct, significant and positive effect on IP.Practical implications: This research was motivated by the practical relevance of supporting SMEs in adopting DT and the resource-based view (RBV) and technology acceptance model (TAM). This study shows that all direct and indirect measures significantly affect innovation performance, including BDAC as moderator. These findings refresh the perspective on what DT, DI, VCC, DSC and BDAC can bring to a firm's innovation performance.Originality/value: This paper has contributed to DT by empirically validating a theoretical argument that suggests the acceptance and adoption of new technology. This paper aims to fill theoretical gaps in understanding BDAC and DT by incorporating the RBV and TAM theories on BDAC and DT.

Purpose: In the era of digitalization, digital technology has transformed businesses and created enormous opportunities for organizations worldwide. Unsurprisingly, research on digital transformation has garnered significant interest among academics in recent decades. However, this study aims to recognize the key and holistic antecedents influencing digital transformation in manufacturing firms. This study also investigates the indirect relationships of antecedents with firm performance.Design/methodology/approach: The hypothesis was investigated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The data was collected from 279 employees through a self-administered survey of manufacturing firms.Findings: The results described a significant and positive impact of competitive pressure, leadership role, organization culture, organization mindfulness, government regulation, and IT readiness on digital transformation and firm performance. Furthermore, digital transformation partially mediates the relationship between antecedents and firm performance.Originality/value: The study finds a holistic perspective of the critical antecedents of digital transformation using the mediation role of digital transformation and moderating effects of firm agility. Additionally, all antecedents have a significant association with Firm Performance.

Within the evolving landscape of contemporary business, where sustainability and innovation intertwine, our study explores a strategic gap, presenting the rationale behind choosing green intellectual capital (GIC), absorptive capacity (AC), green innovation (GI), environmental regulations (ERs), and competitive advantage (CA) as main constructs. This model investigates the complex nature of the competitive landscape of SMEs within the vibrant manufacturing sector using the latest version of SmartPLS 4 for analyzing complex data. Drawing upon the theory of the natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study uncovers that GIC advances GI and AC, driving SMEs toward sustainable CA, particularly within the context of ER. These findings propose vital insights for SMEs looking to leverage their valuable resource, contributing to greening operations and reaching sustainable competitiveness while also contributing to theoretical developments in understanding resource-based perceptions on greening the manufacturing of SMEs. Findings reveal the significant impact of GIC on AC and GI and their subsequent impact on CA. Furthermore, ER uncovers the essential role in shaping the link between GIC and AC, thus enhancing SMEs’ capacity to achieve sustainable competitiveness. This study discloses how SMEs utilize GIC to identify ER and achieve CA and how the NRBV develops an understanding of SMEs utilizing their unique resource endowments to drive GI and achieve CA. This study examines the mediating role of AC and GI in this relationship.

Water scarcity is a growing global challenge, requiring effective management strategies to ensure sustainable water use, particularly in regions like West Dorset, U.K., where rising prices and environmental pressures make sustainable consumption practices essential. This study develops and empirically tests an integrated theoretical framework combining Prospect Theory (PT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to examine the mechanisms driving household water conservation. Using structural equation modelling on data from 429 residents in West Dorset (response rate 78.3%), we investigated how water pricing (WP) and perceived water risk (PWR) influence sustainable water consumption through individual innovativeness (II) and community engagement (CE), with environmental regulations (ERs) as a moderator. The results revealed significant positive effects of WP and PWR on individual innovativeness, which, in turn, strongly predicted community engagement. The relationship between these factors and sustainable water consumption was significantly moderated by ERs. This study makes three key contributions: Firstly, it empirically validates an integrated PT-SCT framework in water conservation behavior. Secondly, it identifies the crucial mediating role of II in translating price and risk perceptions into community action; and lastly, it demonstrates how regulatory frameworks can enhance or inhibit conservation outcomes. These findings inform policy recommendations for tiered pricing structures, community-based conservation initiatives, and adaptive regulatory frameworks. This study provides a comprehensive model for understanding and promoting sustainable water consumption in water-stressed regions worldwide.