Big data analytics sentiment: US-China reaction to data collection by business and government

Abstract

As society continues its rapid change to a digitized individual, corporate, and government environment it is prudent for researchers to investigate the zeitgeist of the global citizenry. The technological changes brought about by big data analytics are changing the way we gather and view data. This big data analytics sentiment research examines how Chinese and American respondents may view big data collection and analytics differently. The paper follows with an analysis of reported attitudes toward possible viewpoints from each country on various big data analytics topics ranging from individual to business and governmental foci. Hofstede's cultural dimensions are used to inform and frame our research hypotheses. Findings suggest that Chinese and American perspectives differ on individual data values, with the Chinese being more open to data collection and analytic techniques targeted toward individuals. Furthermore, support is found that US respondents have a more favorable view of businesses' use of data analytics. Finally, there is a strong difference in the attitudes toward governmental use of data, where US respondents do not favor governmental big data analytics usage and the Chinese respondents indicated a greater acceptance of governmental data usage. These findings are helpful in better understanding appropriate technological change and adoption from a societal perspective. Specifically, this research provides insights for corporate business and government entities suggesting how they might adjust their approach to big data collection and management in order to better support and sustain their organization's services and products.