Big data ethics: implications for organizational performance and business value

Purpose Ethics has a significant impact on the decisions of organizations at all levels. The ethical values related to big data in business organizations have received limited research attention, except for a few notable examples. According to the literature, once an initiative is taken to create and disseminate a code of ethics, emerging obstacles begin to set in. Hence, the primary purpose of this study is to map, visualize and analyze the development of research in the area of big data ethics, focusing on the industry in general, with specific emphasis on organizations’ performance and business value. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the goal of the study, we explored the Scopus database, focusing on research related to big data ethics in business. We retrieved 277 studies based on predetermined keywords approved by the authors. The time frame of the published studies spans from 1990 to the present. Biblioshiny and VOSviewer were used to analyze the retrieved studies (273 studies). Following that, the studies were examined using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, focusing on the main topic of the study and referring to the surveyed literature. Finally, to discuss the results and research implications, we utilized the theory-context-characteristics-methods (TCCM) framework. Findings The theme of “ethics” contributed to the development of several research areas, including privacy, data governance, information dissemination, human-based research and behavioral research. The study highlights a gap in the existing literature regarding the adoption of metaethical and normative ethical lenses in big data research. Originality/value The study discusses diverse industry examples, such as tourism and healthcare, to illustrate the practical implications of ethical practices while addressing the complex interplay between data governance, privacy and human rights issues.