Data Ecosystem Governance: A Conceptual Framework

Data need to be created, collected, stored, exchanged, integrated, and processed among a diverse set of actors and infrastructures to create value. Such reliance on other actors leads to the emergence of data ecosystems. Despite the focus on data ecosystems in the literature, little is known about who governs what data activities and how. Data ecosystem governance aims to ensure the alignment of activities with different goals and strategies of ecosystem actors. We contribute to the understanding of data governance by expanding the conceptual model for data ecosystem governance. The framework draws on an extensive review of data governance and ecosystems. We show governance is multi-layer, multi-actor and multi- dimension which creates complexity and interdependencies. The conceptual framework provides a guide for managers to fully understand and implement data ecosystem governance.