Competitive Advantage: A Study of Saudi SMEs to Adopt Data Mining for Effective Decision Making

Abstract

It is very important for organizations to develop a competitive advantage for long-term survival in the market. For this purpose, the main objective of the study was to assess the role of data mining and employee training & Development to gain a competitive advantage. Moreover, the mediating role of personnel role and knowledge management is also assessed in the present study. The data in the present study were collected from the employees of SMEs in KSA using convenient sampling. The response rate of the study was 58.36%. For the analysis of the collected data, the study used PLS 3.2.9. The findings of the study reveal that data mining and training and development plays an important role for organizations to gain a competitive advantage through Knowledge management and personnel role. The findings of the study fill the gap of limited studies conducted regarding SMEs of KSA to gain a competitive advantage. The findings of the study are helpful for the policymakers of SMEs around the globe.