Sowing the seeds of value? Persuasive practices and the embedding of big data analytics

Abstract

This paper draws on data from three organisational case studies and expert interviews to propose that persuasive practices are the precursors and enablers of analytical capability development. A bundle of seven practices was identified and observed to bridge multiple gaps between technical and non-technical colleagues on big data analytics (BDA) projects. The deployment of these practices varied according to the level of BDA maturity and featured a host of socio-material elements. This paper complements existing technical case studies with a fine-grained qualitative account of the managerial and human elements of BDA implementation. Effective deployment of persuasive practices potentially both embeds the benefits and mitigates the risks of BDA, sowing the seeds of many different forms of value.