Data (and) Responsibility

We investigate the role firms play in dealing with data protection. We draw parallels between the ethical challenges regarding data capabilities and other social issues that over time have instigated the evolution of corporate responsibilities. Our contention is that we can learn from the history of social issues in management and corporate social responsibility to clarify under which conditions new issues become the prerogative of firm social responsibility. Our review suggests that issues evolve into responsibilities if the value creation potential underlying the issue is significant (condition) and if specific pivotal events (trigger) heighten attention from policy makers and civil society. We examine under which conditions organizations assume new responsibilities to either create value from data or attenuate the risk of value destruction.