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Workplace Learning, Big Data, and Organizational Readiness: Where to Start?

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Digital Workplace Learning

Abstract

There is a growing need for professionals who are able to analyze large data sets to inform business decisions. Evidence for this need is presented through examples of big data and analytics used to inform and assess informal and formal workplace learning initiatives, embeding big data within a performance improvement (PI) framework, and delivering an emerging organizational readiness model. If big data and analytics could address these needs, then the organizational readiness for this potential solution can be determined. Thus, the authors conclude by describing an emerging model of big data readiness in organizations and its implications for determining readiness. Recommendations for other future research are also provided.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning, College of Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA

    Lisa A. Giacumo & Steven W. Villachica

  2. Northwest Lineman College, Meridian, ID, USA

    Jeroen Breman

Authors
  1. Lisa A. Giacumo
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  2. Steven W. Villachica
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  3. Jeroen Breman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa A. Giacumo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

    Dirk Ifenthaler

Appendix: Potential Big Data Readiness Factors

Appendix: Potential Big Data Readiness Factors

1.1 Sources

1. Tornatzky et al. (1990)

2. Giacumo and Villachica (2016)

3. Alkhater et al. (2015)

4. Nam et al. (2015)

5. Mneney and Van Belle (2016)

6. Nilashi et al. (2016)

7. Alam et al. (2016)

8. Alkhalil et al. (2017)

9. Zhang et al. (2017)

Factors

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

TOE innovation

         

Technology context (internal and external technologies relevant to the firm)

         

Quality of service/availability

X

 

X

      

Quality of service/reliability

  

X

      

Security

  

X

  

X

   

Privacy

  

X

      

Trust

  

X

      

Relative advantage

  

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

Compatibility

  

X

  

X

X

X

 

Complexity

  

X

 

X

X

X

X

 

Trialability

  

X

    

X

 

Risks

       

X

 

Size (data volume)

       

X

 

IT infrastructure (networking, software and database resources, speedy internet, backup plan)

    

X

 

X

 

X

IT access

 

X

      

X

Knowledge about big data

    

X

    

Current internal methods and equipment

X

        

Pool of available external technologies

X

        

Features of the technology

X

        

Organization context

         

Top management support

  

X

 

X

X

X

X

X

Firm size

X

 

X

  

X

   

Technology readiness

  

X

      

Readiness

       

X

 

Internal social network

       

X

 

Informal linkages between employees

X

        

Transactions carried out through internal employee linkages (decision-making and internal communication)

X

        

External social network

X

      

X

 

Centralization of management structure

X

     

X

  

Formalization of management structure

X

     

X

  

Formalization of task division and coordination

X

        

Complexity of management structure

X

        

Top management leadership behaviors

X

        

Formal boundary-spanning structures

X

        

Perceived cost

      

X

  

Organization structure

        

X

Release procedures of official documents

        

X

Department objectives

        

X

IS infrastructure

     

X

   

Financial resources

   

X

X

X

   

Quality of human resources

X

   

X

    

Amount of internally available slack resources

X

        

Governance

    

X

    

External environmental context

         

Government regulation

X

 

X

  

X

   

Competitive pressure

X

 

X

X

X

X

X

  

Physical location

  

X

      

External support

  

X

      

Industry

X

 

X

 

X

    

Technology vendor support

    

X

X

X

  

Government regulations and support

X

   

X

 

X

  

Attitude of local social environment

        

X

Attitude of local social environment toward government transparency

        

X

Intensity of competition

     

X

   

Access to resources supplied by others

X

        

Industry characteristics and market structure (firm size, customer-supplier relations, market uncertainty/volatility, dimensions of competition, industry life cycle)

X

        

Technology support infrastructure (labor costs, skill of labor force, access to suppliers)

X

        

Human context

         

Culture

  

X

 

X

    

Job satisfaction (salary, promotion, organizational loyalty, organizational affiliation)

         

Senior executive innovativeness (enthusiastic to experiment, not timid to try out new info systems, sooner create something new, often risk doing things differently)

     

X

X

  

IT staff capabilities (possess skills, computer literate, at least one computer expert in HRD Department)

   

X

 

X

X

 

X

Employee’s IS knowledge

     

X

   

CIO innovativeness

     

X

   

Clinical IT experts

     

X

   

Consult data for all decisions (executives, managers, supervisors)

 

X

       

Financials list people as assets—In addition to expenses

 

X

       

Business analysts have shifted attention from managing to developing performance

 

X

       

Data analysts are highly skilled and interested in big data

 

X

       

HR and L&D are valued strategic partners

 

X

       

HR and L&D are fluent in metrics and scorecards

 

X

       

Task-technology fit

         

Big data use cases

    

X

    

Adoption

         

Initialization

   

X

     

Adoption

   

X

     

Assimilation

   

X

     

Partners

         

Executives

 

X

       

Financials

 

X

       

Managers

 

X

       

Supervisors

 

X

       

Business analysts

 

X

       

HR/L&D

 

X

       

Users

 

X

       

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Giacumo, L.A., Villachica, S.W., Breman, J. (2018). Workplace Learning, Big Data, and Organizational Readiness: Where to Start?. In: Ifenthaler, D. (eds) Digital Workplace Learning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46215-8_7

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