The Organizational Challenges of Big Data

How can big data be leveraged to create value and what are the main barriers that prevent companies from benefiting from the full potential of data and analytics? This chapter describes the phenomenon of big data and how its use through data science is dramatically changing the basis of competition. The chapter also delves into the main organizational challenges faced by companies in extracting value from data, namely the promotion of a data-driven culture, the design of the internal and external structures, and the acquisition of the technical and behavioral skills required by big data professional roles. The aim and the structure of the book are illustrated. Shedding light on the human side of big data through the lense of emotional intelligence, the book aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the behavioral competencies that big data profiles require in order to achieve a higher performance.