Andrea De Mauro

University of Rome Tor Vergata | UNIROMA2 · Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Impresa

Big Data offer new research avenues concerning: • the collection and analysis of behavioral data as antecedent information to accounting data (e.g. may customer sentiment captured via social media precede sales? Or abnormal bank accounts movements, can capture in advance the risk of fraud?) • the evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of information of various kinds, images, videos, 3D digital environments, as well as of new channels (social media, apps) and devises (i.e. paper, PC, mobile phone, etc.) for decision-making purposes . • How big data analytics and advanced tools and techniques can help in analyzing financial data (Dameri et al. 2017) and, conversely, • -What is the actual impact of Big Data initiatives in terms of corporate financial KPI's? What accounting practices can assess the actual book value of informational assets? (Grover et al, 2018, De Mauro et al, 2019) • Establishment of Big Data market: How can data be priced, exchanged, and protected in order to enable a suistainable and fair data market? (Liang et al, 2018, De Mauro et al, 2019). Possible topics for contributions include, but are not limited to, the following: • relationships between big data, business reporting and disclosure; • financial evaluation and KPI’s for Big Data flow and stock • impact of big data on managerial reporting and the managerial decision-making process; • the impact of new media (e.g., company website, social networks) on accounting and • the contribution of neuroscience to big data analytics for business reporting.

Please consider submitting a paper to the special issue of the journal "Information Processing & Management" (http://www.journals.elsevier.com/information-processing-and-management/news/call-for-papers-in-big-data-we-trust-value-creation-in-knowl). In (Big) Data we trust: Value Creation in Knowledge Organizations Marco Greco, Michele Grimaldi, Andrea De Mauro, Paavo Ritala Companies are being forced to reconsider the role of data and analytical capabilities in decision making, innovation management, market research, operations management and many more vital aspects (McAfee, Brynjolfsson, Davenport, Patil, & Barton, 2012; Wamba et al. 2015). Those who have been more intentional in the use of Big Data, have shown to be more productive than their industry peers (Bughin, 2016). The tumultuous development of Big Data Analytics is not always accompanied by a controlled evolution of business processes and organizational structure and this prevents from leveraging the full potential of the advances (Pearson & Wegener, 2013). In other words, technology is making society change at a speed that companies struggle to follow and there is still lack of clarity on the complex set of drivers and inhibitors of effective value creation through Big Data utilization in contemporary firms (Davenport, 2014). The contributions we would like to collect as part of this special issue will form a coherent set of stimuli for both scholars and professionals who want to crystallize the multiple ways Big Data is impacting the way business is done, and how value is created and captured. The expected contributions should address the topics indicated in the following non-exhaustive list: Big Data Analytics as Value Driver: Which specific aspects within data management, data transformation and data utilization drive (or drain) value for companies? Can the value of data be monetized, tracked and considered for financial accounting? Human Resources Management Implications: How can firms develop and retain professional expertise in the domain of Big Data and what is the definition of “analytical excellence” companies should aim at? How should the organizational structure be transformed due to the new paradigms of data-based decision making? Evolution of Leadership: What do leaders need now more than in the past as data acquires a central role in the way decisions are made? How can the presence of Big Data steer strategic choices? How is the definition of “power” changing within organizations? Strategic implications: Which types of business and revenue models are needed to create and capture value from Big Data in companies? What types of inter-organizational networks, platforms, and ecosystems become important? Big Data Controversies: What is the real balance of benefits versus risks when adopting highly data-reliant business models? How to respond to the worrying aspects of Big Data for employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholder, such as privacy and extreme de-humanization of business? The critical questions above have attracted strong interest over the last few months and a special issue on this topic published over the next 18 months will pave the way to a more rigorous development of Big Data strategies in companies and a more robust and organized stream of future business research within this domain. Selected Literature Bughin, J. (2016). Big data, Big bang? Journal of Big Data, 3(1), 2. doi:10.1186/s40537-015-0014-3 Davenport, T. H. (2014). Big Data at Work: Dispelling the Myths, Uncovering the Opportunities. Harvard Business Review Press. De Mauro, A., Greco, M., & Grimaldi, M. (2016). A formal definition of Big Data based on its essential features. Library Review, 65(3). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LR-06-2015-0061 McAfee, A., Brynjolfsson, E., Davenport, T. H., Patil, D., & Barton, D. (2012). Big data: the management revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90(10), 1–9. doi:10.1007/s12599-013-0249-5 Pearson, T., & Wegener, R. (2013). Big Data: The organizational challenge. Retrieved from http://www.bain.com/Images/BAIN_BRIEF_Big_Data_The_organizational_challenge.pdf Wamba, S. F., Akter, S., Edwards, A., Chopin, G., & Gnanzou, D. (2015). How ‘big data’ can make big impact: Findings from a systematic review and a longitudinal case study. International Journal of Production Economics, 165, 234-246.