Reference no: EM134021334

Question 1:

Based on the scholarly article by Weinberg (2025), "Power BI and the Datafication of Danish Higher Education," published in Big Data & Society, which critically examines the increasing adoption of Microsoft Power BI as a digital analytics and governance tool within Danish higher education institutions. The paper explores how dashboard technologies contribute to the broader process of datafication, whereby academic activities, institutional performance, and administrative processes are transformed into quantifiable metrics for monitoring, comparison, and strategic decision making. It further analyses the implications of these developments for university governance, accountability structures, managerial control, and the experiences of academic and administrative staff within higher education settings.

Students are required to carefully read and critically engage with this article and use it as the primary source to answer the six parts of the question outlined below. All responses should demonstrate a clear understanding of the paper and incorporate relevant theoretical concepts, critical arguments, and supporting evidence drawn directly from the text.

Question 1.1: Critically analyze how Power BI functions as a governance technology within Danish higher education. In your answer, explain how it is linked to New Public Management (NPM), performance measurement, and datafication processes.

Question 1.2: Evaluate the claim that Power BI enables "real-time" and "data-driven" decision-making. In your response, discuss whether this framing enhances or limits institutional decision-making capacity, particularly in relation to higher education policy priorities.

Question 1.3: Discuss the concept of "data democratization" as presented in the article. How is this concept constructed in Power BI's promotional discourse, and how is it experienced differently by institutional actors in practice?

Question 1.4: Critically evaluate whether Power BI redistributes decision-making power within the university or reinforces existing hierarchies. Use evidence from the article to support your argument.

Question 1.5: Analyse how Power BI metrics (e.g., employability rates, study intensity, completion times) shape representations of students and academic programs. In your answer, explain how these metrics influence perceptions of value and performance in higher education.

Question 1.6: Critically evaluate the forms of resistance described in the article (e.g., metric gaming, disengagement, reinterpretation of data). To what extent can these be considered meaningful forms of resistance within data-driven governance systems?

Question 2

A medium-sized organization is considering implementing a data-driven decision-making culture across all business units. Management wants employees at all levels to use dashboards, reports, and analytics tools to improve operational efficiency, customer service, and profitability. The initiative includes staff training, technology upgrades, KPI monitoring, and encouraging managers to base decisions on measurable evidence rather than intuition.

Question 2.1: Explain the key benefits of creating a data-driven decision-making culture within an organization.

Question 2.2: Critically evaluate the challenges an organization may face when shifting from intuition-based decisions to data-driven management.

Question 3

A multinational company, GlobalTech, has recently introduced a business intelligence platform through management information systems to improve reporting and strategic planning across finance, sales, marketing, and operations. Although the system provides access to large amounts of data, many managers complain that reports are too complex, inconsistent across departments, and difficult to interpret quickly. Some teams also question the reliability of the data because different departments use separate definitions for metrics such as revenue, costs, and customer retention.

Senior management wants to redesign the reporting process so reports become clear, reliable, timely, and aligned with corporate strategy.

Question 3.1: Outline the key stages of an effective business reporting process. For each stage, explain how it contributes to producing accurate, useful, and timely management reports.

Question 3.2: Recommend how GlobalTech can redesign and standardize its reporting system to ensure consistency, stakeholder relevance, and scalability for future growth.