This research provides a novel progression to the existing research about big data analytics capabilities (BDAC) by investigating and measuring its influence on organizational resilience and strategic flexibility. Toward that end, 400 different SMEs in Saudi Arabia were approached. Data were collected via questionnaire. Results confirm that the ability to handle big data analytics totally mediates the relationship between IT capabilities and strategic flexibility. Big data infrastructure flexibility has a negative effect on strategic flexibility. Big data personal expertise not only negatively affects the relationship between IT capabilities and strategic flexibility but also stimulates and reinforces the relationship between strategic flexibility and organizational resilience. The critical pathway developed and tested the trend to make the organization as an immune system able to make the best of the worst. This implies the urgent need for policymakers and managers to adopt and comprehend the concept of BDAC instead of IT capabilities to define oriented plans specifically formulated for stimulating strategic flexibility and organizational resilience. By adopting the proposed model, SMEs can interact more effectively internally and externally.

The aim of this research is to identify the components and practices of university social responsibility (USR) – a concept based on corporate social responsibility - and its impact on development and sustainability. Here, it is necessary to develop a new perception of universities, in which we learn, develop and act. This work results from an exploratory approach based on a literature review and observations at Qassim University. The first stage of this research will adopt a qualitative approach, to identify and understand how USR is defined by the university community. The main goal of this stage is the development of items which will be used to measure USR at Qassim University. The second stage is a quantitative approach applied through administration of a questionnaire. A hypothesis test is elaborated by LISREL 8.52 according to a structural equation model (SEM) in which corporate social responsibility is considered a mediating variable between development and sustainability. From this research, a critical path for USR can be defined based on practices. We will also be able to recommend a pathway for sustainable development based on USR.

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