4. Style

Style is about how things are done. In this Chapter we examine the process of management (that is, how management is ‘done’) and investigate the implications of big data for existing management styles. Today’s managers view big data in one of three ways; some have anticipated the impact of big data and have positioned themselves (and their companies) for the opportunities; some recognise the threats that big data brings but have buried their heads in the sand and, finally, some see neither opportunity or threat and believe that the role of the manager in an era of big data will be unchanged. In this chapter we argue that big data disrupts the role of management in four ways; it requires that all staff, including managers, become data-literate, it questions existing notions of experience and expertise, it disrupts how decisions are made (an important lever of management control) and it defines the role and responsibilities of the data Scientist. Big data also affects the balance between ‘management’ and ‘leadership’ within an organisation. In this chapter we examine the difference between management and leadership, how the business environment shapes the balance between the two and why, arguably, leadership is more important than management for big data.