Role of information technology in enhancing competitive priorities: Evidence from Yemeni pharmaceutical sector

Type of article: Research Article AbstractThe pharmaceutical sector in Yemen faces intensified competition and resource constraints, necessitating operational excellence and innovation to sustain competitiveness. The study aims to examine how information technology (IT), specifically hardware, software, networks, and databases, affects competitive priorities such as efficiency, quality, flexibility, and delivery performance.The study focused on pharmaceutical companies located in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. A total of eight companies were included. A structured questionnaire was distributed to a 220-randomly stratified sample; managerial, supervisory, and quality control personnel were selected from a population of 2,160 employees, yielding 198 valid responses. This sampling method was chosen to ensure representativeness across functional levels involved in strategic and operational decision-making.Data analysis using SPSS v28 revealed that IT significantly influences competitive priorities (R² = 0.586, β = 0.765, t = 16.642, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression further indicated that hardware (β = 0.216, p = 0.004), software (β = 0.282, p = 0.014), and networks (β = 0.275, p < 0.001) positively and significantly impact competitive priorities, while database (β = 0.074, p = 0.453) does not. The overall model explained 59.0% of the variance (R² = 0.590, F (4, 193) = 69.416, p < 0.001), demonstrating the measurable role of IT dimensions in shaping competitiveness in this sector. Acknowledgment The authors would like to acknowledge Sana’a University for providing the opportunity to conduct this analysis. Yemeni pharmaceutical companies are acknowledged for their willingness to be respondents and facilitate this investigation.