Emerging economies, emerging challenges: Mobilising and capturing value from big data

Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph (2016): Emerging economies, emerging challenges: Mobilising and capturing value from big data. Published in: Technological Forecasting and Social Change (2016)

Abstract

As technology advances and voluminous new data are generated on a daily basis, the ability to harness and utilise big data not only enhances firms’ competitiveness but also equips governments for the twenty-first century. This study examines how governments can utilise big data to combat health challenges. The study focuses specifically on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to illustrate how various technologies and techniques were utilised jointly to combat and contain the outbreak. An integrated technology roadmappping approach was developed which encompasses digital surveillance systems and traditional monitoring techniques to articulate how governments can capture value from big data to combat such contagious diseases. Policy and practical implications are identified and discussed.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Big data; technology roadmapping; technology; governments; Ebola
• Subjects: L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior; L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior > L20 - General; L - Industrial Organization > L4 - Antitrust Issues and Policies

References

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2014). A unified framework of explanations for strategic persistence in the wake of others’ failures. Journal of Strategy and Management, 7(4), 422–444.

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2014). Old habits die hard: A tale of two failed companies and an unwanted inheritance. Journal of Business Research, 67(9), 1894–1903.

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2015b). A unified framework for incorporating decision-making into explanations of business failure. Industrial Management and Data System, 115(7), 1341–1357.

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2015c). Explaining declining industries in developing countries: The case of textiles and apparel in Ghana. Competition and Change, 19(1), 19–35.

Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2015d). Solar energy in sub-Saharan Africa: The challenges and opportunities of technological leapfrogging. Thunderbird International Business Review, 57(1), 15–31.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., & Debrah, Y. (2014). Air Afrique: The demise of a continental icon. Business History, 56(4), 517–546.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., & Debrah, Y. A. (2010). The protracted collapse of Ghana Airways: Lessons in organizational failure. Group and Organization Management, 35(5), 636–665.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., & Zhang, H. (2015). “Tales from the grave”: What can we learn from failed international companies? Foresight, 17(5), 528–541.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., 2015a. Safety or no safety in numbers? Governments, big data and public policy formulation. Industrial Manag. Data System, 115(9), 1-10.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., Durugbo, C., 2015. The rise and fall of technology companies: The evolutional phase model of ST-Ericsson's dissolution. Technol. Forecast. Soc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.04.005.

Amankwah-Amoah, J., Sarpong, D., 2015. Historical pathways to a green economy: The evolution and scaling-up of solar PV in Ghana, 1980-2010. Technol. Forecast. Soc. //dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.02.017.

Amos, J., 2015.Satellites track snail disease risk. (Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31483629. Accessed: 1 May 2015).

BBC. 2013. Big data: Predicting and preventing rugby injuries. (Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24836161. Accessed: 2 June 2014).

BBC. 2014. Ebola outbreak: Asky bans flights in West Africa. (Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28550906. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Bhimani, A., 2015. Exploring big data’s strategic consequences. J. of InfoTech. 30, 3066-3069.

Brennan, N., Oelschlaeger, A., Cox, C., Tavenner, M., 2014. Leveraging the big-data revolution: CMS is expanding capabilities to spur health system transformation. Health Affairs, 33(7), 1195-1202.

Chandler, C., Fairhead, J., Kelly, A., Leach, M., Martineau, F., Mokuwa, E. ... & Wilkinson, A., 2014. Ebola: limitations of correcting misinformation. The Lancet, 385 (9975), 1275-1277.

Chen, H., Chiang, R. H., Storey, V. C., 2012. Business intelligence and analytics: From big data to big impact. MIS quarterly, 36 (4), 1165-1188.

Crovitz, G. L., 2013. Why 'big data' is a big deal. (Available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324077704578364632408717740. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Davidian, M., Louis, T. A., 2012. Why statistics? Science, 336 (6077), 12.

DBIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). 2013. Seizing the data opportunity: A strategy for UK data capability. London: DBIS.

Deng, C., 2014. Baidu turns to big data to forecast flu outbreaks. (Available at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/06/10/baidu-turns-to-big-data-to-forecast-flu-outbreaks/. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit). 2011. Big data: Harnessing a game-changing asset. London: EIU.

EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit). 2012. Big data: Lessons from the leaders. London: EIU.

Ellis, J., Ed., 1993. Keeping archives. Rr Bowker Llc. Forbes, D., Kirsch, D., 2011. The study of emerging industries: Recognizing and responding to some central problems. J. of Bus. Vent. 26, 589–602.

Galvin, R., 2004. Roadmapping - a practitioner's update. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 71, 101-103.

Garcia, M. L. & Bray, O.H. 1997. Fundamentals of Technology Roadmapping. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia Nat. Labs (SAND97-0665).

George, G., Haas, M. R., Pentland, A., 2014. Big data and management. Acad. Manag. J., 57 (2), 321-326.

Geum, Y., Lee, H., Lee, Y., Park, Y., 2015. Development of data-driven technology roadmap considering dependency: An ARM-based technology roadmapping. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 91, 264-279.

Ghani, K. R., Zheng, K., Wei, J. T., Friedman, C. P., 2014. Harnessing big data for health care and research: are urologists ready? European Urology, 66 (6), 975-977.

Goes, P. B., 2014. Big Data and IS Research. MIS Quarterly, 38 (3), iii-viii.

Hay, S. I., George, D. B., Moyes, C. L., Brownstein, J. S., 2013. Big data opportunities for global infectious disease surveillance. PLoS medicine, 10 (4), e1001413.

Helft, M., 2008. Google uses searches to track flu’s spread. New York Times, November 12, A1

Kerr, C.I.V., Phaal, R., Probert, D.R., 2013. Roadmapping as a Responsive Mode to Government Policy: A Goal-Orientated Approach to Realising a Vision. In M. G. Moehrle, R. Isenmann and R. Phaal (Eds.). Technology Roadmapping for Strategy and Innovation: Charting the Route to Success. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

Komorowski, M., 2014. A history of storage costs. (Available at: http://www.mkomo.com/cost-per-gigabyte. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Kostoff, R. N., Schaller, R. R., 2001. Science and technology roadmaps. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions, 48 (2), 132-143.

Lee, C., Song, B., Park, Y., 2015. An instrument for scenario-based technology roadmapping: How to assess the impacts of future changes on organisational plans. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 90, 285-301.

Lohr, S., 2012a. The age of big data. New York Times, February 12, SR1.

Lohr, S., 2012b. How Big Data Became So Big. Aug 11, New York Times, BU3.

Lohr, S., 2013. Big data is opening doors, but maybe too many. March 24, New York Times, BU3.

Lohr, S., 2014. In big data, shepherding comes first. Dec. 14, New York Times, B1.

Mabey, D., Flasche, S., Edmunds, W. J., 2014. Airport screening for Ebola. BMJ, 349, g6202.

Marcus, G., Davis, E., 2014. Eight (no, nine!) problems with big data. April 6, New York Times, A23.

McAfee, A., Brynjolfsson, E., 2012. Big data: the management revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90 (10), 60-68.

McDowall, W., 2012. Technology roadmaps for transition management: The case of hydrogen energy. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 79 (3), 530-542.

Milinovich, G. J., Magalhães, R. J. S., Hu, W., 2015. Role of big data in the early detection of Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases, The Lancet Global Health, 3(1), e20- e21.

Newman, A. A., 2011. Using Google’s data to reach consumers. New York Times, December 23, B3.

Phaal, R., Farrukh, C.J.P., Probert, D. R., 2004. Technology roadmapping - A planning framework for evolution and revolution. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 71, 5-26.

Save the Children. 2015. A wake-up call: Lessons from Ebola for the world’s health systems. London: Save the Children.

Smartdatacollective (2014. What the Ebola crisis has taught us about big data. (Available at: http://smartdatacollective.com/gilallouche/286011/what-ebola-crisis-has-taught-us-about-big-data. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

The Economist. 2014a. Unintended consequences. 412 (8903), 50

The Economist. 2014b. Ebola and travel: Flying fear. (Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2014/10/ebola-and-travel-0. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

The Economist. 2014c. The Ebola alarmists. 413 (8908), 36.

The Economist. 2014d. Ebola's global reach. (Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/10/daily-chart-5. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

The Economist. 2014e. Panicking only makes it worse. 412 (8900), 50.

The Economist. 2014f. Fever rising. 412 (8900), 48–50.

The Economist. 2014g. Call for help. 413 (8910), 17.

The Economist. 2015. The toll of a tragedy. (Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/02/ebola-graphics. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

The White House. 2014. Big Data and Privacy Working Group Review. Press releases. Washington: Office of the Press Secretary.

Vishnevskiy, K., Karasev, O., Meissner, D., 2015. Integrated roadmaps and corporate Foresight as tools of innovation management: The case of Russian companies. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 90, 433-443.

Wakefield, J., 2013.Tomorrow's cities: How big data is changing the world. (Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23253949. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Wall, M., 2014. Ebola: Can big data analytics help contain its spread? (Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29617831. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Walsh, S.T., 2004. Roadmapping a disruptive technology: a case study: the emerging microsystems and top-down nanosystems industry. Technol. Forecast. Soc. 71, 161–185.

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. Int J. of Pro. Eco. (doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2014.12.031).

WDR (World Development Report) (1998). Knowledge for Development. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

Welch, C., 2000. The archaeology of business networks: the use of archival records in case study research. J. Strateg. Markt. 8 (2), 197–208.

Woerner, S. L., Wixom, B. H. 2015. Big data: extending the business strategy toolbox. J. of InfoTech. 30, 60-62.

World Bank. 2011. World Bank 2011: Conflict, Security, and Development. Washington, DC: World Bank.

World Bank. 2013. Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development. Washington DC: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank.

World Bank. 2014. Ebola: New World Bank Group study forecasts billions in economic loss if epidemic lasts longer, spreads in West Africa. (Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/10/08/ebola-new-world-bank-group-study-forecasts-billions-in-economic-loss-if-epidemic-lasts-longer-spreads-in-west-africa. Accessed: 2 Jan 2015).

Yin, R. K., 2003. Case study research: Design and methods. Third edition, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Yin, R. K., 2011. Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. New York: The Guilford Press.