Knowledge reuse and big data analytics in enhancing project portfolio success: the moderating roles of absorptive capacity

Purpose In the context of increasingly complex project portfolio management, organizations must navigate multi-objective trade-offs and multistakeholder collaboration while optimizing their knowledge resources and big data analytics capabilities. Given these inherent complexities – arising from competing objectives and diverse stakeholder interests – the effective integration of knowledge management and data analytics becomes critical for achieving optimal decision-making. This study aims to investigate the relationships between knowledge reuse and big data analytics capability, as well as their synergistic interaction in influencing project portfolio success. Furthermore, it explores the moderating role of absorptive capacity in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on knowledge-intensive enterprises, using questionnaire data and structural equation modeling to examine the effects of knowledge reuse, big data analytics capability and their interaction on project portfolio success. In addition, absorptive capacity is incorporated as a moderating variable to assess its influence on these relationships. Findings The findings demonstrate that knowledge reuse and big data analytics capability each have a positive impact on project portfolio success, while their synergistic interaction further enhances this effect. In addition, absorptive capacity significantly strengthens these relationships, amplifying the combined influence of knowledge reuse and big data analytics capability on project portfolio success. Originality/value The results provide practical insights for organizations operating in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments, offering strategic guidance on leveraging combined knowledge and data capabilities to overcome resource constraints and achieve competitive advantage.