Organisational transformation through Business Intelligence: theory, the vendor perspective and a research agenda

Business Intelligence (BI) vendors have often asserted that the use of their tools can lead to organisational transformation. This paper compares the vendor literature on the topic with two management theories. The results of a content analysis of the vendor literature are presented, followed by an overview of dynamic capability theory and absorptive capacity. This comparison shows that the BI vendor literature treats transformation in a simplistic and narrow way. The paper argues for greater engagement between academia, BI vendors and BI customers, and outlines a research agenda for further work.

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