Safety or no safety in numbers? Governments, big data and public policy formulation
| Published date | 19 October 2015 |
| Pages | 1596-1603 |
| Date | 19 October 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-04-2015-0158 |
| Author | Joseph Amankwah-Amoah |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems |
Safety or no safety in numbers?
Governments, big data and
public policy formulation
Joseph Amankwah-Amoah
School of Economics, Finance and Management,
University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Abstract
Purpose –Although big data have emerged at the cornerstone of business and management research,
past studies have failed to offer explanations and classifications of different levels of capacity and
expertise possessed by different countries in utilising big data. The purpose of this paper is to examine
the different capacities of governments in utilising big data.
Design/methodology/approach –The paper is based on a comprehensive synopsis of the literature
on big data and the role of governments in utilising and harnessing big data.
Findings –The study provides an array of explanations to account for why some countries are adept
at using big data to solve social problems, while others often faltered.
Research limitations/implications –The study offers a range of explanations and suggestions,
which include skills upgrading, to help countries improve their capabilities in data collection and
data analysis.
Originality/value –In this paper, data collection-data analysis matrix was developed to characterise
the role of governments in data collection and analysis.
Keywords Capabilities, Public policy, Big data, Data
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In less than a generation, the internet has transformed the way we live our lives and
provided more opportunities for volumi nous new data to be generated and
disseminated across national borders (George et al., 2014; Tapscott et al., 2000).
As more data are generated than ever before, big data have increasingly gainedcurrency
in the public policy arena (The Economist, 2010). Simultaneously, big data have taken
one of the centre stages of contemporary discourse across the social science disciplines
(Chen et al., 2012). In recent years, however, governments around theglobe have utilised
big data to help combat contagious diseases (Milinovich et al., 2015), identify potential
terrorist and design and deliver effective health care (see Krumholz, 2014;
Yiu, 2012; UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS), 2013).
In spite of accumulating evidence that suggests there are different roles and levels of
capacity of governments in utilising big data (Brennan et al., 2014; DBIS, 2013), much of
the literature has failed to provide a clear framework to account for these differences.
Whilst some governments are adept at using big data to solve social problems, others
often falter and lack a clear path in utilising big data (see Kim et al., 2014;
The Economist, 2010). Scholars have overlooked this important issue and failed to offer
robust explanations to account for these differences.
The main purpose in this study is to examine the different capacities and
capabilities of governments in harnessing and utilising big data. This study seeks to
address this gap in the literature by developing a 2 ×2 matrix to shed light on why
some governments are better than others at utilising data and generating knowledge.
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 115 No. 9, 2015
pp. 1596-1603
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-04-2015-0158
Received 29 April 2015
Revised 29 July 2015
21 August 2015
Accepted 11 September 2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
1596
IMDS
115,9
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