Data and analytics in organisations and society

Around the globe and spanning sectors, data and data analytics permeate all aspects of organisational operations – data has become ubiquitous to organisational domains. The widespread use of data and analytics pose unique challenges that managers must consider when making decisions and enacting change. This unit will provide an overview of contemporary issues surrounding the utility of data and analytics.

This unit advances understanding of the commercial, economic, social, legal, and ethical considerations for the use of data and analytics. Frameworks and models on data governance are introduced for building accountability to maximise proper usage of analytics tools, including generative AI. Real-world case studies illustrate effective use of analytics and data-driven intelligence generation along with potential undesirable and unintended consequences. With specific attention on cases that have made many wary of the role of data in society (e.g., Google’s continuous data harvesting), the unit also explores the “dark side” of data analytics and artificial intelligence. As such, the unit prepares managers to make informed and discerning judgments about the consequences of using data and data-driven intelligence tools for specific goals within organisations and society.