IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i16p9280-d616833.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reputational Risk Associated with Big Data Research and Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Cara Stitzlein

    (CSIRO Data61, Hobart 7005, Australia)

  • Simon Fielke

    (CSIRO Land and Water, Dutton Park 4102, Australia)

  • François Waldner

    (European Commission Joint Research Centre, 21027 Ispra, Italy)

  • Todd Sanderson

    (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra 2601, Australia)

Abstract

Many private and public actors are incentivized by the promises of big data technologies: digital tools underpinned by capabilities like artificial intelligence and machine learning. While many shared value propositions exist regarding what these technologies afford, public-facing concerns related to individual privacy, algorithm fairness, and the access to insights requires attention if the widespread use and subsequent value of these technologies are to be fully realized. Drawing from perspectives of data science, social science and technology acceptance, we present an interdisciplinary analysis that links these concerns with traditional research and development (R&D) activities. We suggest a reframing of the public R&D ‘brand’ that responds to legitimate concerns related to data collection, development, and the implementation of big data technologies. We offer as a case study Australian agriculture, which is currently undergoing such digitalization, and where concerns have been raised by landholders and the research community. With seemingly limitless possibilities, an updated account of responsible R&D in an increasingly digitalized world may accelerate the ways in which we might realize the benefits of big data and mitigate harmful social and environmental costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Cara Stitzlein & Simon Fielke & François Waldner & Todd Sanderson, 2021. "Reputational Risk Associated with Big Data Research and Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:9280-:d:616833
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/9280/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/9280/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sonka, Steve, 2014. "Big Data and the Ag Sector: More than Lots of Numbers," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 17(1), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Mayeda, A.M. & Boyd, A.D., 2020. "Factors influencing public perceptions of hydropower projects: A systematic literature review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    3. Parsons, Richard & Lacey, Justine & Moffat, Kieren, 2014. "Maintaining legitimacy of a contested practice: How the minerals industry understands its ‘social licence to operate’," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 83-90.
    4. Calder, Ian R., 2002. "Forests and Hydrological Services: Reconciling public and science perceptions," Land Use and Water Resources Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Centre for Land Use and Water Resources Research, vol. 2, pages 1-12.
    5. Izac, A. -M. N. & Sanchez, P. A., 2001. "Towards a natural resource management paradigm for international agriculture: the example of agroforestry research," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 69(1-2), pages 5-25.
    6. Francis X. Diebold, 2012. "On the Origin(s) and Development of the Term “Big Data"," PIER Working Paper Archive 12-037, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania.
    7. Keith H Coble & Ashok K Mishra & Shannon Ferrell & Terry Griffin, 2018. "Big Data in Agriculture: A Challenge for the Future," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 40(1), pages 79-96.
    8. Philip Antwi-Agyei & Andrew J. Dougill & Thomas P. Agyekum & Lindsay C. Stringer, 2018. "Alignment between nationally determined contributions and the sustainable development goals for West Africa," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(10), pages 1296-1312, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Olena Liakh, 2021. "Accountability through Sustainability Data Governance: Reconfiguring Reporting to Better Account for the Digital Acceleration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Jakku, E. & Fleming, A. & Espig, M. & Fielke, S. & Finlay-Smits, S.C. & Turner, J.A., 2023. "Disruption disrupted? Reflecting on the relationship between responsible innovation and digital agriculture research and development at multiple levels in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    3. Katharine Legun & Karly Ann Burch & Laurens Klerkx, 2023. "Can a robot be an expert? The social meaning of skill and its expression through the prospect of autonomous AgTech," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(2), pages 501-517, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jesse Tack & Keith H. Coble & Robert Johansson & Ardian Harri & Barry J. Barnett, 2019. "The Potential Implications of “Big Ag Data” for USDA Forecasts," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(4), pages 668-683, December.
    2. Li, Lei & Lin, Jiabao & Ouyang, Ye & Luo, Xin (Robert), 2022. "Evaluating the impact of big data analytics usage on the decision-making quality of organizations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    3. Joel O. Botai & Christina M. Botai & Katlego P. Ncongwane & Sylvester Mpandeli & Luxon Nhamo & Muthoni Masinde & Abiodun M. Adeola & Michael G. Mengistu & Henerica Tazvinga & Miriam D. Murambadoro & S, 2021. "A Review of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research in Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-26, February.
    4. Whitaker, Stephan D., 2018. "Big Data versus a survey," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 285-296.
    5. Mohammad Amiri-Zarandi & Rozita A. Dara & Emily Duncan & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2022. "Big Data Privacy in Smart Farming: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    6. Bowles, Paul & MacPhail, Fiona & Tetreault, Darcy, 2019. "Social licence versus procedural justice: Competing narratives of (Il)legitimacy at the San Xavier mine, Mexico," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 157-165.
    7. Leena Suopajärvi & Karin Beland Lindahl & Toni Eerola & Gregory Poelzer, 2023. "Social aspects of business risk in the mineral industry—political, reputational, and local acceptability risks facing mineral exploration and mining," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 36(2), pages 321-331, June.
    8. Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy & Rifkin, Will & Moffat, Kieren & Louis, Winnifred, 2017. "Conceptualising the role of dialogue in social licence to operate," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 137-146.
    9. van Noordwijk, Meine, 2019. "Integrated natural resource management as pathway to poverty reduction: Innovating practices, institutions and policies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 60-71.
    10. Sonja Kivinen & Kaarina Vartiainen & Timo Kumpula, 2018. "People and Post-Mining Environments: PPGIS Mapping of Landscape Values, Knowledge Needs, and Future Perspectives in Northern Finland," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-23, December.
    11. Michelle Scobie, 2022. "Sustainable Development Goals and Sustainability Governance: Norms, Implementation Pathways and Caribbean Small Island Developing States," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(2), pages 219-234, May.
    12. Marc Bascompta & Lluís Sanmiquel & Carla Vintró & Mohammad Yousefian, 2022. "Corporate Social Responsibility Index for Mine Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-24, October.
    13. Carlos Quiroz Dahik & Patricio Crespo & Bernd Stimm & Felipe Murtinho & Michael Weber & Patrick Hildebrandt, 2018. "Contrasting Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Pine Plantations in the Páramo Ecosystem of Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-23, May.
    14. Wolfert, Sjaak & Ge, Lan & Verdouw, Cor & Bogaardt, Marc-Jeroen, 2017. "Big Data in Smart Farming – A review," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 69-80.
    15. Ge, Lan & Bogaardt, Marc-Jeroen, 2015. "Bites into the Bits: Governance of Data Harvesting Initiatives in Agrifood Chains," 148th Seminar, November 30-December 1, 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands 229261, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Shuna Shu Ham Ho & Chang Hoon Oh & Daniel Shapiro, 2024. "Can Corporate Social Responsibility Lead to Social License? A Sentiment and Emotion Analysis," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(2), pages 445-476, March.
    17. Komarek, Adam M. & De Pinto, Alessandro & Smith, Vincent H., 2020. "A review of types of risks in agriculture: What we know and what we need to know," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    18. Yıldız, Taşkın Deniz & Kural, Orhan, 2020. "The effects of the mining operation activities permit process on the mining sector in Turkey," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    19. Richert, Claire & Rogers, Abbie & Burton, Michael, 2015. "Measuring the extent of a Social License to Operate: The influence of marine biodiversity offsets in the oil and gas sector in Western Australia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 121-129.
    20. Gyanwali, Khem & Komiyama, Ryoichi & Fujii, Yasumasa, 2020. "Representing hydropower in the dynamic power sector model and assessing clean energy deployment in the power generation mix of Nepal," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:9280-:d:616833. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.