Economic intelligence and ethical challenges in the digital transformation of emerging economies

Abstract

The main problem lies in the contradiction between the urgent need of emerging economies to adopt data-driven economic intelligence in order to achieve competitive development, and the ethical risks resulting from the uncontrolled exploitation of data in digital transformation processes. This research seeks to enrich the academic dialogue on the governance of digital technologies and data ethics, bridge a knowledge gap in studies that combine the digital economy and ethics within emerging contexts, and provide recommendations to policymakers in emerging economies to balance digital innovation with ethical protection. The descriptive approach was used in the theoretical aspect. To test the research hypotheses, a preliminary questionnaire was designed and presented to several experts and specialists, followed by direct interviews with senior and executive management. A total of (45) questionnaires were distributed, of which (42) were retrieved, and (2) were excluded due to incomplete responses from the research sample. Accordingly, the contents of the (40) questionnaires were analyzed to achieve the research objectives and test the hypotheses. The study reached several conclusions, the most important of which is that economic intelligence is a critical enabling factor. Economic intelligence is considered a key factor for the success of digital transformation in emerging economies; however, its implementation faces technical and human challenges. The study recommends developing data protection policies and establishing and enforcing clear policies to protect personal data and limit unethical commercial exploitation.