It’s not because a dataset is big that it will be good. And it is not because we used a sophisticated algorithm that the decision will be fine

These are the notes from a talk that I delivered, recently, about the importance of data quality, and how to assess it. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/1ect9VUVbgOPt7 In my talk, I started by noting the critical role of data as a source of insight and, subsequently, as an enabler of service automation. Then, went on to note that data … Continue reading It’s not because a dataset is big that it will be good. And it is not because we used a sophisticated algorithm that the decision will be fine

What’s stopping organisations with data-centric practices from benefiting from their IT-related investments?

One of the advantages of using Google Scholar to check how your (academic) outputs are being used is that, now and then, you bump into really interesting papers that build on your previous work. This is what happened, recently, when I received an alert that the paper "Conceptualising a digital orientation: antecedents supporting SME performance … Continue reading What’s stopping organisations with data-centric practices from benefiting from their IT-related investments?

New paper: Big data, big decisions: The impact of big data on board level decision-making

If you are interested on the impact of big data on business, you might want to check a new paper that I co-authored with Alessandro Merendino, Sally Dibb, Maureen Meadows, Lee Quinn, David Wilson and Lyndon Simkin; and which has just been published in the Journal of Business Research. This paper reports on a research … Continue reading New paper: Big data, big decisions: The impact of big data on board level decision-making

Knowing when you can trust your gut

Working in digital marketing, you probably have situations where you have to make a decision, even though you really wish that you could collect additional data. Maybe you want to find a few examples of successful content ignition from your own market, rather than from another market that is only somehow related. Or you … Continue reading Knowing when you can trust your gut

March 2015 round-up

Spring is here (at least officially), I had one journal and three conference papers accepted, and our lovely friends SP have visited us. So, all in all, the month is ending on a high note. And if it is true that 50% of my sabbatical is now gone :-(, it is also the case that … Continue reading March 2015 round-up

The performative power of the score

There are two interesting articles in the news, today. They are about two very different companies but, essentially, the same issue: the performative power of the score. Or, in others words, about how much a simple number can influence our life. The first article is about passenger transportation company, Uber. It was revealed that … Continue reading The performative power of the score

The downside of choice

Earlier today I was at an information session, meeting people interested in post-graduate education at the institution where I am employed, Oxford Brookes University. I was doing my best to show the potential candidates all the options that they had access to. We talked about the different modes of study (i.e., full time vs. part … Continue reading The downside of choice

Close business relationships do not protect you from cheating

Research recently published in the Journal of Marketing Research presents an interesting puzzle. It suggests that close rapport between business partners does not eliminate opportunism, which the authors define as 'the practice of engaging in actions that sacrifice ethical principles to benefit oneself at the expense of others'. However, the paper posits that the level … Continue reading Close business relationships do not protect you from cheating

Three questions to define the market

When I taught Principles of Marketing many years ago, I used to draw on Abell’s framework to define the market that a business was operating in. The reference is Defining the business: the starting point of strategic planning written by Derek F. Abell and published by Prentice Hall in  1980. Abell’s framework states that … Continue reading Three questions to define the market

The flawed decision maker

Noticing that I haven’t been to the gym in a (very) long time, my other half has tentatively suggested that I cancel my membership (and save some money too). This should be an easy decision. You see, even though I like some of the classes on offer at my health club, I much prefer going … Continue reading The flawed decision maker