Humanitarian operations in developing world settings present a particularly rich opportunity for examining the use of big data analytics. Focal non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often synchronize the delivery of services in a supply chain fashion by aligning recipient community needs with resources from various stakeholders (nodes). In this research, we develop a resource dependence model connecting big data analytics to superior humanitarian outcomes by means of a case study (qualitative) of twelve humanitarian value streams. Specifically, we identify the nodes in the network that can exert power on the focal NGOs based upon the respective resources being provided to ensure that sufficient big data is being created. In addition, we are able to identify how the type of data attribute, i.e., volume, velocity, veracity, value, and variety, relates to different forms of humanitarian interventions (e.g., education, healthcare, land reform, disaster relief, etc.). Finally, we identify how the various types of data attributes affect humanitarian outcomes in terms of deliverables, lead-times, cost, and propagation. This research presents evidence of important linkages between the developmental body of knowledge and that of resource dependence theory (RDT) and big data analytics. In addition, we are able to generalize RDT assumptions from the multi-tiered supply chains to distributed networks. The prescriptive nature of the findings can be used by donor agencies and focal NGOs to design interventions and collect the necessary data to facilitate superior humanitarian outcomes.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explain how factors relating to resource availability affect managerial risk-taking with regard to the geographic and institutional proximity of cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) targets. The paper further considers the impact of organizational learning by testing the moderating effect of the acquiring firms’ prior international M&A experience. Design/methodology/approach This study uses linear regression with robust standard errors to account for dependence among clustered observations at the firm level. The authors used country and industry fixed-effects specifications to account for unobserved heterogeneity. Findings The results suggest that when internal and external resources are more abundant, firms pursue cross-border M&As that are more geographically and institutionally distant. The findings further indicate that a firm’s prior international M&A experience positively moderates the aforementioned relationships.. Research limitations/implications Extending the behavioral theory of the firm beyond organizational slack resources, the results highlight the importance of taking a multi-level, open-systems perspective of the strategic impact of resource availability. The authors’ theory and findings also provide a more nuanced view of the critical role organizational learning plays in the relationship between resource availability and organizational outcomes. Originality/value This is the first study to the authors’ knowledge that develops and tests a theoretical model exploring the impact of both internal (organizational slack) and external (environmental munificence at both the industry and home-country levels) resource availability, as well as prior organizational experience on an important multinational business practice.

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