Leading data analytics transformations

The phenomenal success of big technology companies founded with a strong emphasis on data, has epitomized the rise of the new "digital economy." Large traditional organizations, that were not long ago "on top of the world" are now at a crossroads. Their business models seem threatened by newcomers as they face pressure to "transform" and "modernize." Publicity has reinforced the perception that data can now be exploited and turned into a source of competitive advantage. In this context, data analytics presumably offers a vehicle to hasten this transformation. Who are the individuals leading these transformation efforts? Where do they come from? What are their challenges and perspectives? This thesis attempted to answer these questions and by doing so, uncover the "faces behind the leadership titles." Interviews of 33 individuals leading data analytics in large traditional organizations and under different capacities, (i.e., at the C-Suite, at the senior leadership level and in middle management) had a few elements in common: They articulated the difficulty of change, and the significant challenges in balancing strategic design with political savviness and cultural awareness. At their core, these are true leadership stories. Change management processes and the "Three Perspectives on Organizations" framework offer mechanisms to better understand the root causes for inhibitors of transformation and provide a path to guide data analytics initiatives. Whether data analytics proves to be a "passing fad" or not, by now, it has served as a catalyst for large traditional organizations to embark on transformation initiatives and reexamine ways to remain relevant. Leadership stories will most certainly abound as these organizations attempt to find ways to survive and prosper in what is now the "digital age."

Department dc:contributor.department

Sloan School of Management.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Canon Moreno, Javier Mauricio, 1977-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John Van Maanen.

• Sloan School of Management.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111472

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/111472