Technology Start-Up Firms’ Management of Data Security and Trust in Collaborative Work with Third-Parties in a Developing Economy

Abstract

This study seeks to provide an understanding of how data security and trust is managed in the collaborative work between technology start-up firms in developing economies and third-party entities. Using qualitative data from Ghana which was analyzed thematically, it was found that the measures taken to ensure the security and privacy of client datasets vary in intensity among firms. Thus, in collaborating with third-parties, the firms largely depend on industry best practices, policies and service-level agreements, and thus do not attempt to integrate the policies of collaborators with their firm’s policies except in situations where the inclusion elimination of certain clauses are collaborative pre-requisites. The firms also have trust criteria which they use to pre-qualify third-party entities with whom they collaborate. It is concluded that technology start-ups possess attribute that show their core competencies and the quality of their deliveries, but might require a regulatory body to monitor their operations.