The Effects of Market Sensing Capability and Information Technology Competency on Innovation and Competitive Advantage

This study examined the effect of market sensing capability and information technology competency (IT competency) on innovation and competitive advantage in small and medium-sized tour operators (SMTOs). This research was conducted on the SMTOs located in three major cities for a tourism destination, meeting, and exhibition in East Java, Indonesia. 175 directors or managers of SMTOs were sampled using the purposive sampling technique. Data was obtained from directors or managers using a structured questionnaire. The empirical data was then analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This study showed that market sensing capability positively and significantly affects innovation. Furthermore, competitive advantage was positively and significantly affected by market sensing capability. Although results showed that IT competence positively and significantly affects innovation, in contrast, it did not positively and significantly affect competitive advantage. These research findings suggest that market sensing capability and innovation have a substantial role in creating a competitive advantage for SMTOs facing the Revolution Industry 4.0 and a dynamic environment. Thus, innovation for SMTOs can be achieved by optimizing the role of market sensing capability and IT competency. However, this study also suggests that the capability or competence will not have any impact on competitive advantage if neither is optimized.