Conceptualising Data Governance: A Comparative Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Data governance (DG) has emerged as a cornerstone of organisational success in the digital economy, enabling reliable decision-making, regulatory compliance, and innovation across sectors. However, despite a growing body of research, DG remains conceptually fragmented and inconsistently operationalised across different organisational contexts. This paper presents a literature review that synthesises insights from 85 studies, including 18 literature reviews, 51 foundational DG papers, and 16 recent studies (2023–2025). Using a five-stage framework (Define–Search–Select–Analyse–Present), this review identifies how DG principles, structures, and challenges differ between intra-organisational and inter-organisational settings. Findings reveal that DG has evolved through two dominant approaches: control-oriented governance (intra-organisational) and coordination-based governance (inter-organisational). This study provides (1) a comparative framework, distinguishing governance approaches across contexts; (2) an empirical synthesis of challenges and enablers; and (3) a research agenda highlighting the growing importance of new technologies, automation, and ethics in future DG design.

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