More than just a resource?Theoretical foundations for the big data phenomenon

The big data phenomenon is now recognized as far more than a business fad, and it has become an important element of firm investment in the modern environment. Yet, the strategy scholars have largely ignored the ever increasing role that big data, and those involved in the firm’s data activities, play in strategic decision making and processes at many firms. This article begins the discussion of how to investigate and systematically understand the transformative effect that big data is playing by looking at how the characteristics of big data (the 8 Vs) connect to two significant schools of thought in strategy: Resource-based Theory and organizational learning. The authors then develop four avenues for further investigation into this phenomenon.