{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,6]],"date-time":"2026-06-06T07:40:44Z","timestamp":1780731644957,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,2]],"date-time":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617321600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["ITP"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,28]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>Big Data (BD) is not only a quintessential part of many economic activities but also has evolved into a veritable business ecosystem. However, most Big Data ecosystem (BDE) models have a technical, bottom-up focus and mostly lack the capability for a broad socioeconomic analysis. This paper identifies the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as a useful, operational framework and uses a metaphorical analogy to adapt it for the BDE. The top-down approach adopted here allows for seeing the big picture of the BD ecosystem. Meeting \u201cend-user needs\u201d is the main objective of the proposed BDE framework.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The methodology of this paper consists of two parts. First, the MA is adapted for the BDE through a metaphorical analogy. Then, to operationalize and validate the proposed framework, it is applied to an emerging BD ecosystem.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>In total, four types of services are offered in the BD ecosystem: provisioning information and products; regulating; cultural and supporting services. Direct and indirect drivers of change impact ecosystem processes such as BD service provision. Based on the assessment results, interventions can be devised to remedy problems, sustain the ecosystem or accelerate growth. The proposed BDE assessment framework is applied to an emerging BDE as an example of operationalization and validation of the proposed BDE framework.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The strengths of the proposed BDE framework is that, in contrast to existing frameworks that are technical and bottom-up, it is constructed top-down by a metaphorical analogy from the proven MA framework. It is a generic framework with the ultimate objective of meeting the \u201cend-user needs\u201d and does not focus on a single sector or firm. Also, the proposed BDE framework is multi-faceted and considers broad socioeconomic issues such as regulating, cultural and supporting services and drivers of change.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/itp-08-2020-0579","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,21]],"date-time":"2021-09-21T04:41:53Z","timestamp":1632199313000},"page":"835-858","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["\u201cBio to bits\u201d: the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) as a metaphor for Big Data ecosystem assessment"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"35","author":[{"given":"Sepehr","family":"Ghazinoory","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5064-8647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shohreh","family":"Nasri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roya","family":"Dastranj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfred","family":"Sarkissian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"key2022032513085109200_ref002","volume-title":"Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: A Framework for Assessment","year":"2003"},{"key":"key2022032513085109200_ref003","article-title":"Business ecosystem as a perspective for studying the relations between firms and their business networks","year":"2007"},{"key":"key2022032513085109200_ref004","unstructured":"Awati, K. and Buckingham-Shum, S. 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