Creating Data Policies for Digital Business Ecosystems

Abstract

Data policies are high-level guidelines that define how the organization handles data. In the age of cross-organizational digital business ecosystems, organizations are facing the need to define data policies that allow them to operate in decentralized scenarios. We conducted a Design Science Research (DSR) project to develop an approach for data policy management for digital business ecosystems. Our artifact was developed and demonstrated in a leading European IT provider. Our results include (1) an approach for data policy creation and (2) a data policy cycle. For theory, our work extends the literature with an approach for data policy management in digital business ecosystems in a highly regulated sector. For practice, our approach can support practitioners in developing the necessary data policies based on their context, considering their location, data-related regulations, available data assets, and organizational environment.