Regulation of data-driven marketing and management theory: bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review and research agenda

• Main Author: Xavier, Jorge
• Publication Date: 2023
• Other Authors: Picoto, Winnie
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/31098
• topic: Data-Driven Marketing; Management Theory; Regulation; Martech; Adtech

Abstract: Purpose – Regulatory initiatives and related technological shifts have been imposing restrictions on data driven marketing (DDM) practices. This paper aims to find the main restrictions for DDM and the key management theories applied to investigate the consequences of these restrictions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a unified bibliometric analysis with 104 publications retrieved from both Scopus and Web of Science, followed by a qualitative, in-depth systematic literature review to identify the management theories in literature and inform a research agenda. Findings – The fragmentation of the research outcomes was overcome by the identification of 3 main clusters and 11 management theories that structured 18 questions for future research. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper sets for the first time a frontier between almost three decades where DDM evolved with no significative restrictions, grounded on innovations and market autoregulation, and an era where data privacy, anti-trust and competition and data sovereignty regulations converge to impose structural changes, requiring scholars and practitioners to rethink the roles of data at the strategic level of the firm.