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Big Data Analytics in Developing Countries - Implications and Challenges

Introduction

In the last decade, a big data revolution has triggered a paradigm shift in the way

organizations store, manage and use information for decision-making. The volume of data being

collected passively by organizations around the world continues to increase (Luna et al. 36).

The next phase of the big data evolution is going to be defined by data analytics capabilities.

Advances in computing and data science have made it possible for organizations in the

developing world to analyze big data in real time (Günther 121). Big data can only benefit

society if there are effective tools which help organizations to make sense of the increasingly

voluminous data (Kshetri 1). Big data analytics tools allows for effective strategic decision-

making by uncovering insights and patterns.

A global and multi-layered view of the digital divide indicates there is inequality in

access to advanced information technology tools. Inequality of capability to exploit information

communication technology (ICT) in developing countries remains a source of concern.

Developing countries are likely to experience challenges in leveraging big data because of lack

of access to data analytics technologies.

Research question

What are the implications and challenges of big data analytics in developing countries?
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Literature Review

In a data-driven world, big data is expected to cause a revolution in information

management. According to Kshetri, the open data movement, emergence of new technologies for

data collection, and the availability of large volumes of data and the Internet of Things (IOT) are

already transforming society (1). The rapid evolution and adoption of big data in developing

countries is accompanied by the emergence of big data analytics technologies and techniques

(Hilbert 135). The reality is that data is critical for effective decision-making. In developed

country organizations, data analysis is commonplace. In fact, big data analysis has led to

consumer profiling, personalized services and predictive analysis in the fields of marketing and

management (Kshetri 1).

The developing world is simply not prepared for big data analytics (Luna et al. 38).

The phenomenon of big data has been developed and propelled by the developing world because

of the availability of advanced data collection and analysis tools (Kshetri 1). Big data is

characterized by high velocity, variety and volume (Hilbert 135). Clearly, it takes significant ICT

capabilities to analyze large volumes of data in the form of audio, video images and text in real

time (Luna et al. 38).

The existing digital divide is likely to have an impact on big data analytics in the

developing world (Andrejevic 1674). The digital divide has created a situation where there are

actors who have the capacity to collect, store, analyze and leverage large data sets, and the big

data poor who are excluded from access to data, access and processing power (Andrejevic 1675).

Without doubt, developing countries can be classified among the big data poor because they are

excluded by lack of access to the big data analytics infrastructure (Andrejevic 1675). At a

deeper level, big data is likely to reinforce existing inequalities in access to ICT technologies. As
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such, it may be a while before organizations in developing countries are able to engage in

predictive analysis.

Big data has permeated the developing countries as a result of advancements in the

adoption of ICT and the internet of things (Hilbert 135). Lack of skilled personnel can impact

the ability of developing world organizations to effectively analyze big data (Kshetri 1). There is

a high demand for skilled data analysts. The reality is that big data is not useful if it cannot be

unlocked to drive decision-making in organizations. According to Augustine, big data stretches

the limits of traditional data processing systems (44). Developing countries need the

infrastructure necessary to support big data analytics. There are infrastructure and economic

deficits that hinder the effective exploitation of big data in developing countries (Hilbert 138).

Big data analytics can play a critical role in development in developing countries (Kshetri

1). Big data analytics can improve decision-making in key economic sectors including health,

agriculture and tourism (Hilbert 138). Big data analytics provides key insights and patterns

which enhance policymaking and allocation of resources (Kshetri 1). It holds a lot of promise

because it is all about identifying new ways to use data to make predictions.

Methodology

Data Collection

The semi structured interview will be used to investigate the research question. The

qualitative research methodology is appropriate because it allows for an in-depth analysis of

issues. The semi structured interview approach will be of immense value to the research because

it will allow for an in-depth interview while providing structure to the information being

provided, allowing for a more effective analysis (Kallio et al. 2954). Each participant will be

asked the same set of questions.

Target Population

The focus of the research is on big data analytics in the developing world. As such, the

target population is IT professionals working in public and private organizations developing

countries. Purposive sampling will be used to select study participants. The sampling methods

involves the selection of participants based the objective of the study and the characteristics of a

population (Etikan, Musa, and Alkassim 2). It is one of the most effective ways of obtaining

accurate and relevant data because it enables the study to focus only participants who have

targeted information.

A total of 24 participants will be selected for the study. The sample size is adequate to

provide reliable information on the status of data analytics in developing countries. Age and

gender will not be factors in the selection of the participants. Work experience and the profession

will be the most important factors. The study will select participants with ten years experience in

ICT.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis will be used to analyze data collected by the interviews. Thematic

analysis is extensively used in the analysis of qualitative data because provides a significant

degree of flexibility (Javadi and Zarea 34). As such, it allows researchers to investigate

underlying meanings by identifying, analyzing, organizing and describing patterns and themes

within the data. The study will focus on the most recurrent themes, and their relevance to the

research question. By highlighting similarities and differences of the views of the different

participants, the study will establish the implications and challenges of big data analytics in

developing countries.

Conclusion
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The main objective of the study is to investigate the implications and challenges of big

data analytics in developing countries. One of the areas the study will investigate is the impact of

the digital divide between developed and developing countries on big data analytics in the latter.

The research will provide insight on the implications of big data analytics on organizations in

developing countries. A qualitative semi-structured interview research design will be used to

collect data. Thematic analysis will be utilized to make sense of the data.
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Works Cited

Andrejevic, Mark. "Big data, big questions| the big data divide." International Journal of

Communication vol. 8 2014 p. 1674-1684.

Augustine, D. Peter. "Leveraging big data analytics and Hadoop in developing India’s healthcare

services." International Journal of Computer Applications vol. 89, no. 16 2014 pp. 44-50.

Etikan, Ilker, Sulaiman Abubakar Musa, and Rukayya Sunusi Alkassim. "Comparison of

convenience sampling and purposive sampling." American journal of theoretical and

applied statistics vol.5, no. 1 2016 pp. 1-4.

Javadi, Mostafa, and Koroush Zarea. "Understanding thematic analysis and its pitfall." Journal

of Client Care vol1, no. 1 2016 pp. 33-39.

Kallio, Hanna, et al. "Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a

qualitative semi‐structured interview guide." Journal of advanced nursing vol. 72, no. 12

2016 pp. 2954-2965.

Kshetri, Nir. "The emerging role of Big Data in key development issues: Opportunities,

challenges, and concerns." Big Data & Society vol. 1, no. 2 2014 p. 2053951714564227.

Günther, Wendy Arianne, et al. "Debating big data: A literature review on realizing value from

big data." The Journal of Strategic Information Systems vol. 26, no. 3 2017 pp. 191-209.

Hilbert, Martin. "Big data for development: A review of promises and challenges." Development

Policy Review vol. 34, no. 1 2016 pp. 135-174.

Luna, D. R., et al. "Challenges and potential solutions for big data implementations in

developing countries." Yearbook of medical informatics vol. 23, no. 01 2014 pp. 36-41.
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