Dr Christina Donnelly in conjunction with her colleague Dr Geoff Simmons, Senior Lecturer at Queens University of Belfast, released an article published in the Harvard Business Review Blog asking 'is there hope for small firms- the have-not's in the world of big data?'
Check out the link: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/12/is-there-hope-for-small-firms-the-have-nots-in-the-world-of-big-data/
This discussion ultimately points to the role of the consumer... After all, the ultimate source of data is the consumer. Shouldn’t shoppers have a say in what happens to their loyalty-card information? If they value small firms, shouldn’t they be able to ensure that these firms have access to a consistent flow of market data?
This research suggests and ideally dreams that in the ordinary consumer, small firms do have a powerful ally. If they could somehow tap into that power, the artisan firms might just be able to garner enough competitive advantage—or at least achieve enough of a competitive balance—to continue providing enriching, satisfying jobs and valuable products to millions of people the world over.