Complementary IT resources for enabling technological opportunism

• After testing for measurement invariance, information technology (IT) use is different for the U.S. and Spain.
• IT use and the firm's IT human capital are the main drivers of technological opportunism (TO) capability.
• The effect of IT vendor support on technological opportunism is country dependent.
• Vertical integration is preferred when a firm uses IT intensively.
• IT vendor support has positive effects on technological opportunism if the firm invests in IT human capital.

This study examines the use of information technologies (ITs), IT human capital, the level of IT vendor support, and their joint effects on firm's sensing and responding to IT changes (technological opportunism). Using data from the U.S. and Spain, the results suggest that IT use and the firm's IT human capital are the main drivers of technological opportunism (TO). The effect of IT vendor support on TO is country dependent, with a U-shaped effect in the U.S. and no effect in Spain. IT vendor support can have positive effects on TO if the firm invests in IT human capital.