Week 1-EC

The article titled 'Debating big data: A literature review on realizing value from big data'
provides a comprehensive examination of how organizations extract value from big data. The
author outlines six major debates spanning work-practice, organizational, and supra-
organizational realms. At the work-practice level, the focus is on the methods employed by
individuals in integrating big data into daily organizational activities. Debates include the choice
between inductive and deductive approaches, and the decision to use algorithms for data
processing versus relying on human intelligence for interpretation, incorporating judgment, and
creativity. On the organizational level, the discussion revolves around how organizations structure
their capabilities in handling big data, whether through centralization or decentralization. This
includes considerations for enhancing business models or fostering innovation as avenues to
actualize value from big data. At the supra-organizational level, two debates emerge: one on
managing data access, whether in a controlled or open manner, and the other on addressing
stakeholder interests, either by minimizing or neglecting social risks such as ethical concerns and
regulatory considerations. The author introduces two key socio-technical features of big data,
namely "portability" (the ability to transfer and access data across contexts) and
"interconnectivity" (the ability to combine data from different sources). These features
significantly influence the value realization of organizations in practice. The article underscores
the critical importance of aligning work practices, developing organizational models, and
addressing stakeholder interests across multiple levels for effective value realization. Finally, the
article calls for more empirical research, particularly process-oriented, multi-level studies, to gain
deeper insights into how organizations practically achieve value realization from big data.