CORE CATALYST CONDITIONS INFLUENCING DARK DATA EMERGENCE

A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH

Abstract

Majority of the literature highlighted dark data research from the perspective of academic research institutions and large business firms, and none was found pertaining to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Impact of dark data is regards as the risk that could harm the business enterprise. Existence of the dark data reside within the enterprise repository could disturb legal compliance of data management regulation and legislation. Therefore, grounded theory research was conducted to investigate the dark data phenomenon towards SME in Malaysia. The primary goal of this study is to discover how organizations prepare themselves with the dark data caretaking. By using the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), 18 SMEs were selected and sampled through snowballing and theoretical sampling procedure.  The study found that business owners prepare their organization to deal with dark data by enabling data caretaking which is comprising of few core catalyst conditions consisting of leveraging technology, upskilling, security and controlling. Although the enabling caretaking effort facilitate the data caretaking activities but simultaneously it influences the occurrences of data crisis