Education and training for successful career in Big Data and Business Analytics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify Big Data and Business Analytics (BDBA) skills and further propose an education and training framework for a successful career in BDBA. Design/methodology/approach – The present study adopts a review of extant literature and appreciative enquiry (AI) which is a quasi-ethnographic approach to identify the skills required for BDBA. Findings – The study helps to identify skills for BDBA and based on extant literature and AI, proposes a theoretical framework for education and training for a successful career in BDBA. Further research directions are outlined which can help take the present research to the next level. Research limitations/implications – The paper presents a theoretical framework, but it has to be validated through empirical data. This research will generate a lot of interest to develop a more practical framework and conduct empirical and case study research. Practical implications – The present study has outlined skills for BDBA. The authors have also proposed a theoretical framework which can further help an educational or training institute to embrace the framework to train young undergraduates or graduates to acquire BDBA skills. It may also motivate an institution to structure their curriculum for a BDBA program. Social implications – This research is a timely one to develop necessary skills for being successful in BDBA career and in turn contribute to the well-being of business community and society. Originality/value – This research is a novel one as there is no research done earlier on this new and emerging areas of research, namely, education and training for BDBA.