How organisations leverage Big Data: a maturity model

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 1468-1492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Comuzzi ◽  
Anit Patel

Purpose While it is commonly recognised that Big Data have an immense potential to generate value for business organisations, appropriating value from Big Data and, in particular, Big Data-enabled analytics is still an open issue for many organisations. The purpose of this paper is to develop a maturity model to support organisations in the realisation of the value created by Big Data. Design/methodology/approach The maturity model is developed following a qualitative approach based on literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with domain experts. The completeness and usefulness of the model is evaluated qualitatively by practitioners, whereas the applicability of the model is evaluated by Big Data maturity assessments in three real-world organisations. Findings The proposed maturity model is considered exhaustive by domain experts and has helped the three assessed organisations to develop a more critical understanding of the next steps to take. Originality/value The maturity model integrates existing industry-developed maturity models into one single coherent Big Data maturity model. The proposed model answers the call for research on Big Data to abstract from technical issues to focus on the business implications of Big Data initiatives.

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Francioli ◽  
Massimo Albanese

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to disclose, report, and manage intellectual capital (IC) in a network of companies. To this end, it provides a monetary evaluation of core competencies (CCs), which may be defined as a bundle of various types of intangibles, aggregating their value into a network statement, called a network competence report (NCR). Design/methodology/approach The paper utilises the interventionist approach. The intervention was conducted by the authors and studied through joint reflections on documentation from meetings and individual, semi-structured interviews. Findings The NCR makes IC more transparent, thereby allowing companies and network managers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of CCs with a consequent potential insight into their potential earnings. Research limitations/implications This method is labour-intensive, especially in its first application, and the data collection requires considerable company involvement. The interventionist approach may have influenced the empirical results, which may be affected by subjectivity. As the paper involves a single network, care should be taken in generalising its empirical evidence. Practical implications In making IC management more effective, the NCR is valuable for academics, management, political authorities and, more generally, for a network’s stakeholders. The NCR is a tool for internal and external communication purposes, creating the conditions to mobilise IC. The proposed model supports the diagnosis of networks by providing CC maps and assessments relevant to their governance and competitiveness. The NCR depicts company and network CCs, allowing intertemporal comparisons that facilitate understanding of the effectiveness of the network’s actions and the importance of belonging to it. Originality/value This paper represents a first attempt to evaluate, in monetary terms, CCs in a network. Its value lies in its practical implications. Moreover, the paper investigates IC in applied terms, contributing to reducing the gap between theory and practice.


foresight ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 640-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimia Ghaffari ◽  
Mohammad Lagzian ◽  
Mostafa Kazemi ◽  
Gholamreza Malekzadeh

Purpose Prior research on the area of internet of things (IoT) development has primarily emphasized the overview descriptions and rarely investigated this area from a socio-technical standpoint. However, IoT development is a socio-technical ensemble, which requires analysis with a simultaneous focus on both technical and non-technical issues. Hence, this paper aims to analyze the development of IoT through the lens of the socio-technical system (STS) theory. Design/methodology/approach Having reviewed the STS theory, the key components of the IoT development are identified using prior literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts involved in the Iranian IoT development effort. Findings As a result, this paper provides insight into the key socio-technical issues in the IoT development classified under technology, tasks, structure and actors as four components of STS. Moreover, the close connections between the components are clarified. Originality/value This research is among the earliest studies, which use the STS theory to investigate the IoT development. The conducted socio-technical analysis of this study may assist the governments, industries and entrepreneurs as the chief stakeholders of IoT development to better align their actions with each other and achieve a balance between both technical and social sides.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suailce Burke-Shyne ◽  
Danielle Gallegos ◽  
Tim Williams

PurposeTo explore the nutrition opportunities and challenges for 3D food printing.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from the field of nutrition or with a technical understanding of 3D food printing and a thematic analysis undertaken.FindingsFour themes emerged: potential uses, sustainability, technical issues and ethical and social issues. The primary use identified was for texture-modified diets. Other uses include personalised nutrition and for novelty purposes. Interviewees indicated food printing may aid sustainability by reducing food waste, using food by-products and incorporating eco-friendly foods. The main technical issues were speed, cost and inability of the technology to move between textures. The latter is a limiting issue if the technology is purported to be used for texture-modified diets. Ethical and social issues raised included the acceptability and high degree of processing involved in printed foods.Originality/valueThis research highlights the need for nutrition issues to be considered as 3D food printing technology develops.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Pauleen ◽  
William Y.C. Wang

Purpose This viewpoint study aims to make the case that the field of knowledge management (KM) must respond to the significant changes that big data/analytics is bringing to operationalizing the production of organizational data and information. Design/methodology/approach This study expresses the opinions of the guest editors of “Does Big Data Mean Big Knowledge? Knowledge Management Perspectives on Big Data and Analytics”. Findings A Big Data/Analytics-Knowledge Management (BDA-KM) model is proposed that illustrates the centrality of knowledge as the guiding principle in the use of big data/analytics in organizations. Research limitations/implications This is an opinion piece, and the proposed model still needs to be empirically verified. Practical implications It is suggested that academics and practitioners in KM must be capable of controlling the application of big data/analytics, and calls for further research investigating how KM can conceptually and operationally use and integrate big data/analytics to foster organizational knowledge for better decision-making and organizational value creation. Originality/value The BDA-KM model is one of the early models placing knowledge as the primary consideration in the successful organizational use of big data/analytics.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Singh ◽  
Jitesh Thakkar ◽  
Mamata Jenamani

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated gray-decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (Grey-DEMATEL) framework to evaluate the ICT adoption barriers in manufacturing small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) running in developing countries. The proposed model is also tested for Indian MSMEs. Design/methodology/approach The model consists of 16 potential ICT adoption barriers selected from existing literature and refined based on discussion with domain experts. While DEMATEL analyses causal relationship and prioritizes them, Grey approach tackles individual biases and data insufficiency. Findings The authors conclude that lack of awareness about benchmarking and lack of management vision are the most critical ICT adoption barriers in the case of Indian MSMEs. Research limitations/implications Outcomes of the present research are based on the experts’ inputs which are subject to the biases related to their experience and exposure. In India practices adopted by SMEs have geographical and political influence that is also neglected. Originality/value This study provides a model consisting of 16 ICT adoption barriers for MSMEs in developing country and a framework to analyze causal relationships among the barriers with the flexibility of data input from their own domain experts. The framework is also capable of dealing with expert biases and data insufficiency.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Chen ◽  
Caihua Liu ◽  
Fei Xing ◽  
Guochao Peng ◽  
Xi Yang

PurposeThe benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) related technologies for manufacturing firms are well recognized, however, there is a lack of industrial AI (I-AI) maturity models to enable companies to understand where they are and plan where they should go. The purpose of this study is to propose a comprehensive maturity model in order to help manufacturing firms assess their performance in the I-AI journey, shed lights on future improvement, and eventually realize their smart manufacturing visions.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on (1) a systematic review of literature on assessing I-AI-related technologies to identify relevant measured indicators in the maturity model, and (2) semi-structured interviews with domain experts to determine maturity levels of the established model.FindingsThe I-AI maturity model developed in this study includes two main dimensions, namely “Industry” and “Artificial Intelligence”, together with 12 first-level indicators and 35 second-level indicators under these dimensions. The maturity levels are divided into five types: planning level, specification level, integration level, optimization level, and leading level.Originality/valueThe maturity model integrates indicators that can be used to assess AI-related technologies and extend the existing maturity models of smart manufacturing by adding specific technical and nontechnical capabilities of these technologies applied in the industrial context. The integration of the industry and artificial intelligence dimensions with the maturity levels shows a road map to improve the capability of applying AI-related technologies throughout the product lifecycle for achieving smart manufacturing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Wong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the teaching innovations that have been implemented in higher education institutions in Asia and the perspectives of educators on them. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 educators who were affiliated with 23 higher education institutions in ten Asian countries/regions. The interviews covered information about the teaching innovations of the participants’ institutions, the characteristics of the innovative practices and the participants’ views on them. The relationships between the characteristics of institutions and their teaching innovations were also examined. Findings The results showed that the teaching innovations included two main categories, namely, those which involved the use of advanced technologies and those which did not. The innovations that involved the use of advanced technologies were mainly from larger institutions, while the other category was mainly from smaller ones and had been practised for less than 1.5 years. Differences were also identified between the two categories in terms of the aims and importance of innovations, innovative features, the evaluation of innovations and improvements needed for them. Originality/value The results highlighted that technology is only one of the many aspects of teaching innovations, which is different from the view prevailing in the literature. They also suggested that differences in the scale of institutions (in terms of number of students) possibly influences the kind of teaching innovations adopted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 2089-2103
Author(s):  
Rosario Michel-Villarreal ◽  
Eliseo Luis Vilalta-Perdomo ◽  
Martin Hingley

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore food producers' motivations and challenges whilst participating in short food supply chains (SFSCs). This paper compares findings with previous literature and investigates the topic in the context of producers' motivations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a literature review concerning producers' motivations to engage in SFSCs. A case study was designed to investigate motivations underlying producers' engagement in SFSCs, as well as the challenges that they face. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a farmers' market located in Mexico. Thematic analysis is used to identify the principal issues for producers'. Propositions based on findings are presented.FindingsFindings suggest that small, large, part-time and full-time producers are willing to engage with farmers' markets for diverse primary economic and non-economic motivations. Individual and collective challenges were also identified.Originality/valueThis research helps to explain producers' motivations and challenges within SFSCs in an under-researched context, namely a focus on producers' and in the Global South.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Arar ◽  
Izhar Oplatka

Purpose It is widely accepted that educational leaders and teachers need to manage and regulate their emotions continually, mainly because schooling and teaching processes expose many emotions. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to trace the ways Israeli assistant principals, both Arab and Jewish, manage their emotions at work. Design/methodology/approach Based on semi-structured interviews with 15 assistant principals, it was found that they are required to manage their emotions in accordance with entrenched emotion rules in the culture and society. Findings Most of the Jewish female APs tend to display warmth and empathy toward teachers in order to better understand their personal needs and professional performances. In contrast, Arab APs suppressed or fabricated emotional expression in their discourse with teachers and parents, in order to maintain a professional façade and retain the internal cohesion of the school. Both groups of APs believed their emotion regulation results in higher level of harmony in the school. Empirical and practical suggestions are put forward. Originality/value The paper is original and contributes to the theoretical and practical knowledge.


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