Understanding the Factors Affecting the Organizational Adoption of Big Data

Big data is rapidly becoming a major driver for firms seeking to gain a competitive advantage. Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation theory (DOI), the institutional theory, and the Tech-nology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, this study applies the results of a content analysis to develop a framework to identify the main factors affecting the organizational adoption of big data. The content analysis is based on the retrieval and review of relevant papers in the business intelligence & analytics (BI&A) literature published during the period 2009–2015. The 26 factors identified by this review are then integrated into a TOE framework. The findings of this research enrich the current big data literature and enhance practitioners’ understanding of the decision-making processes involved in a firm’s adoption of big data.