Although they are the subject of much interest, the literature lacks research into why and whether investments in big data resources improve business performance. Drawing on the resource theory view and a survey of 301 marketing managers, this research reveals that big data resources improve company performance by strengthening their marketing capabilities. A complementary balance between IT infrastructure, human capital (data scientists) and customer-focused culture is required for effective management of big data resources and impact on business performance.

Co-authors: Samppa Suoniemi, Andreas Munzel , Alex Zablah, Detmar Straub