Overcoming Resistance to Big Data and Operational Changes Through Interactive Data Visualization

Research has shown that the use of big data can modify operational processes in organizations. However, little research has been conducted on overcoming resistance to the process changes needed for adoption of big data technologies. In this article, we address this gap in the literature by investigating the impact of interactive data visualization on decision-making around operational process changes with big data. Our goal is to demonstrate how the choice of visualization of workflow and operational processes impacts decisions to embrace real-time, big data technology. To do so, we conduct a case study of patient/provider interactions in a large health care practice and compare the initial state with a revised workflow using a big data, real-time analytics platform. We then investigate the impact of the data visualization strategy on decision-making to implement operational changes caused by big data. The study demonstrates that interactive data visualization of operational processes can be an enabler in overcoming organizational resistance to big data technologies in a change-resistant organization. The concomitant benefit is that big data analytics is placed directly into the hands of primary decision makers.