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

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.