Opportunity or Threat: Board Perspectives on the Secondary Use of Data.

Anecdotal practitioner evidence indicates that organisations having long data histories and therefore the potential to compete through data are reluctant to do so, whilst emerging companies with relatively smaller existing asset base often seek to “win with data”. Underlying this apparent contradiction is the tension between the opportunity and risks involved in exploiting secondary use of data. In this research-in-progress paper, we explore the question: how do configurations of individual, organisational, and environmental factors influence board views of the opportunity and risk presented by secondary use of data? We develop a research framework based upon practitioner experience and the literature. We plan to refine the research framework based the results of focus groups of relevant experts - partners of professional services firms that advise boards in the strategic use of data. We then plan to test this practitioner verified framework through interviews with Australian board directors.