The role of financial agility as a driving force for improving data-driven innovation capabilities: an applied study
Abstract
The purpose of the research is to measure the role of financial agility, represented by (organizational factors, technological factors, human factors, technical and contextual factors, and structural and legal factors), as a driving force for improving data-driven innovation capabilities, represented by (marketing orientation capabilities, infrastructure capabilities, and innovation talent capabilities), among a sample of employees in financial intermediation companies in thi-qar province, including seven companies (al-zaamili, al-qand iq, fnjn, acad, al-jihad, al-nawafith, al-ehab). Due to the importance of financial agility, which has emerged as a necessity after the rapid changes witnessed in the business environment, characterized by the speed and diversity of changes, some companies have been able to adapt to these transformations and have succeeded in entering the competitive market with strength, while others have suffered from the challenges resulting from that environment, where they are now facing difficulties in maintaining their position due to the challenges imposed by market opportunities and threats. Accordingly, the research problem was formulated in the form of a main question: (does financial agility act as a driving force for improving data-driven innovation capabilities among a sample of employees in financial intermediation companies in thi-qar province?), and to achieve the main objective of the research, the study relied on the questionnaire as a primary tool for collecting the necessary data, as (100) questionnaires were distributed to the employees the concerned companies, and retrieved (83) statements, of which (7) are defective, and (76) are valid for analysis, which indicates that the sample response rate reached (76%). To analyze the research outputs, two statistical programs were adopted: (spss & amos.v.29) for extracting targeted tests. Accordingly, the research presented several results, the most important of which is the existence of a relationship and impact between financial agility and data-driven innovation capabilities, meaning that financial agility is considered a major factor in enabling companies to improve their data-based creative capabilities, as it allows them flexibility in managing financial resources and fully utilizing opportunities, thereby enhancing their ability to innovate and adapt to market changes more effectively. The research also recommended that companies should focus on establishing flexible financial plans that respond to rapid market changes, which in turn requires continuous re-evaluation of financial resources and ensuring their effective allocation to support innovation
Downloads
References
1. Abbas, a., & ali, a. (2024). Marketing agility’s influence on market performance: a perspective from fintech industry. Asian bull. Big data manag, 4, 165.
2. Adewale, t. T., olorunyomi, t. D., & odonkor, t. N. (2023). Big data-driven financial analysis: a new paradigm for strategic insights and decision-making. Journal of financial innovation and analytics, 1(1), 1-15.
3. Ahmad, n. R. (2025). Strategic agility in crisis: how pakistani businesses adapt financially to global disruptions and market shocks. Center for management science research, 3(3), 31-39.
4. Alghamdi, o., & agag, g. (2024). Competitive advantage: a longitudinal analysis of the roles of data-driven innovation capabilities, marketing agility, and market turbulence. Journal of retailing and consumer services, 76, 103547.
5. Almashhadani, m., & almashhadani, h. A. (2023). The influence of technological capacity and financial capacity on promoting firm competitiveness and firm performance. Journal of humanities, social sciences and business, 3(1), 125-141.
6. Alyahya, m., aliedan, m., agag, g., & abdelmoety, z. H. (2023). Understanding the relationship between big data analytics capabilities and sustainable performance: the role of strategic agility and firm creativity. Sustainability, 15(9), 7623.
7. Arnold, d. E. (2021). Asa finances: a recap and look ahead. Asa monitor, 85(9), 10-11.
8. Awan, u., shamim, s., khan, z., zia, n. U., shariq, s. M., & khan, m. N. (2021). Big data analytics capability and decision-making: the role of data-driven insight on circular economy performance. Technological forecasting and social change, 168, 120766.
9. Babu, m. M., rahman, m., alam, a., & dey, b. L. (2024). Exploring big data-driven innovation in the manufacturing sector: evidence from uk firms. Annals of operations research, 333(2), 689-716.
10. Bhatti, s. H., hussain, w. M. H. W., khan, j., sultan, s., & ferraris, a. (2024). Exploring data-driven innovation: what’s missing in the relationship between big data analytics capabilities and supply chain innovation?. Annals of operations research, 333(2), 799-824.
11. Celestin, m. (2017). The effectiveness of beyond budgeting models: can businesses abandon traditional budgeting for more agile and real-time financial planning. Brainae journal of business, sciences and technology (bjbst), 1(18), 652-661.
12. Chatterjee, s., chaudhuri, r., & vrontis, d. (2024). Does data-driven culture impact innovation and performance of a firm? An empirical examination. Annals of operations research, 333(2), 601-626.
13. Darabpour, k., & molla, a. Z. S. (2023). Designing a model of financial flexibility functions for industrial infrastructure development of abadan oil refining company.
14. Darabpour, k., molla-alizadeh-zavardehi, s., & salehi, a. K. (2021). Sap-lap linkages scenario analysis of financial/accounting functions decision. International journal of finance & managerial accounting, 6(23), 59-79.
15. Edo-osagie, e. (2025). Advanced budgeting and dynamic allocation strategies for maximizing financial resilience amid economic volatility and market shifts. International journal of research publication and reviews, 6(3), 1060-1077.
16. Edu, a. S. (2022). Positioning big data analytics capabilities towards financial service agility. Aslib journal of information management, 74(4), 569-588.
17. Eriksson, t., & heikkilä, m. (2023). Capabilities for data-driven innovation in b2b industrial companies. Industrial marketing management, 111, 158-172.
18. George, j. G. (2024). Leveraging enterprise agile and platform modernization in the fintech ai revolution: a path to harmonized data and infrastructure. International research journal of modernization in engineering technology and science, 6(4), 88-94.
19. Guo, y., & wang, w. (2025). Data-driven fintech and agile supply chain systems: mechanisms and impacts. International review of economics & finance, 104253.
20. Khalilzadeh, s. M. R., saeidi, p., naderian, a., & abbasi, e. (2022). Designing and explaining the structural model of the financial agility of the supply chain process of companies through the structural equation modeling approach. Journal of advances in finance and investment, 3(7), 121-152.
21. Khlilzade, r., saeidi, p., naderian, a., & abbasie, i. (2021). Designing a model for financial agility of supply chain process. Journal of decisions and operations research, 6(3), 445-463.
22. Kissi, p. S. (2024). Examine the influence of collaborative business culture and data-driven analytic capability on business innovation: moderation role of managerial capability. Business information review, 41(3), 110-123.
23. Lozada, n., arias-pérez, j., & henao-garcía, e. A. (2023). Unveiling the effects of big data analytics capability on innovation capability through absorptive capacity: why more and better insights matter. Journal of enterprise information management, 36(2), 680-701.
24. Luo, j. (2022). Data-driven innovation: what is it?. Ieee transactions on engineering management, 70(2), 784-790.
25. Malatyinszki, s., horváth, g., & kálmán, b. G. (2024). Navigating financial awareness across generational shifts: integrating agile management for future success. Pressacademia procedia, 20(1), 5-9.
26. Masai, d. K., sang, j., & odunga, r. (2024). Effect of strategic agility enablers on corporate performance of unclaimed financial assets authority in nairobi city county, kenya. Journal of african interdisciplinary studies, 8(4), 5-23.
27. Mata, m. N., moleiro martins, j., & inácio, p. L. (2024). Collaborative innovation, strategic agility, & absorptive capacity adoption in smes: the moderating effects of customer knowledge management capability. Journal of knowledge management, 28(4), 1116-1140.
28. Medeiros, m. M. D., & maçada, a. C. G. (2022). Competitive advantage of data-driven analytical capabilities: the role of big data visualization and of organizational agility. Management decision, 60(4), 953-975.
29. Mittal, s. (2024). Strategic foresight in action: leveraging mckinsey’s 3 horizon model for balanced financial and strategic planning. International journal of science and research (ijsr), 13(4), 1166-1172.
30. Moridu, i., & abidin, z. (2023). Adapting financial management strategies amidst economic turmoil: a case study of gama corporate's liquidity and restructuring initiative. The eastasouth management and business, 2(01), 34-42.
31. Munawar, f., kaniawati, k., latifah, i., & buana, d. M. A. (2023). Achieving performance through strategic agility and entrepreneurial innovation: an empirical research in smes sector. Jurnal aplikasi manajemen, 21(1), 25-41.
32. Odekunle, l. A. (2024). Building a sustainable future-ready university: ideas and perceptions of a financial manager.
33. Pietronudo, m. C., zhou, f., caporuscio, a., la ragione, g., & risitano, m. (2022). New emerging capabilities for managing data-driven innovation in healthcare: the role of digital platforms. European journal of innovation management, 25(6), 867-891.
34. Probojakti, w., utami, h. N., prasetya, a., & riza, m. F. (2025). Driving sustainable competitive advantage in banking: the role of transformational leadership and digital transformation in organizational agility and corporate resiliency. Business strategy and the environment, 34(1), 670-689.
35. Rafi, n., ahmed, a., shafique, i., & kalyar, m. N. (2022). Knowledge management capabilities and organizational agility as liaisons of business performance. South asian journal of business studies, 11(4), 397-417.
36. Rauf, m. A., shorna, s. A., joy, z. H., & rahman, m. M. (2024). Data-driven transformation: optimizing enterprise financial management and decision-making with big data. Academic journal on business administration, innovation & sustainability, 4(2), 94-106.
37. Ravat, l., hemonnet-goujot, a., & hollet-haudebert, s. (2024). Exploring how to develop data-driven innovation capability of marketing within b2b firms: toward a capability model and process-oriented approach. Industrial marketing management, 118, 110-125.
38. Saad, m. F., & al-mahmoud, a. M. (2020)financial agility & reflection in the financial sustainability of a sample of industrial companies (iraqi and kuwaiti) for the period 2017-2021.
39. Sahid, a., maleh, y., asemanjerdi, s. A., & martín-cervantes, p. A. (2023). A bibliometric analysis of the fintech agility literature: evolution and review. International journal of financial studies, 11(4), 123.
40. Sardiana, a., & sawmong, s. (2025, may). Examining how creativity, risk-taking and proactiveness as entrepreneurial ability affecting fintech companies’ innovativeness. In proceedings of sustainability, entrepreneurship, equity and digital strategies (seeds 2024) (pp. 20-37). Atlantis press.
41. Schymanietz, m., & jonas, j. M. (2020). The roles of individual actors in data-driven service innovation–a dynamic capabilities perspective to explore its microfoundations.
42. Setiawati, r., eve, j., syavira, a., ricardianto, p., & endri, e. (2022). The role of information technology in business agility: systematic literature review. Calitatea, 23(189), 83-149.
43. Sihotang, h. T., vinsensia, d., riandari, f., & chandra, s. (2024). Data-driven corporate growth: a dynamic financial modelling framework for strategic agility. International journal of basic and applied science, 13(2), 84-95.
44. Sultana, s., akter, s., & kyriazis, e. (2022). How data-driven innovation capability is shaping the future of market agility and competitive performance?. Technological forecasting and social change, 174, 121260.
45. Sultana, s., akter, s., & kyriazis, e. (2024). Theorising data-driven innovation capabilities to survive and thrive in the digital economy. Journal of strategic marketing, 32(7), 864-890.
46. Tan, h. L. (2014). Research on the application of agile financial chain in the development of financial management system. Advanced materials research, 926, 3906-3909.
47. Tigre, f. B. (2024). Forging innovative leadership: the power of agility, diversity, and risk-taking configurations. Merits, 4(3), 224-237.
48. Trabucchi, d., & buganza, t. (2019). Data-driven innovation: switching the perspective on big data. European journal of innovation management, 22(1), 23-40.
49. Ylijoki, o., sirkiä, j., porras, j., & harmaakorpi, v. (2018). Innovation capabilities as a mediator between big data and business model. Journal of enterprise transformation, 8(3-4), 165-182.
50. Zahedi, j., salehi, m., & moradi, m. (2022). Identifying and classifying the contributing factors to financial resilience. Foresight, 24(2), 177-194.
51. Zareravasan, a. (2023). Boosting innovation performance through big data analytics: an empirical investigation on the role of firm agility. Journal of information science, 49(5), 1293-1308.
Published
Deprecated: Return type of Carbon\Traits\Date::createFromTimestamp($timestamp, $tz = null) should either be compatible with DateTime::createFromTimestamp(int|float $timestamp): static, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in /home/iqserver/journals/kjeas.uowasit.edu.iq/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/nesbot/carbon/src/Carbon/Traits/Timestamp.php on line 29
2026-04-27
