/library/oar/handle/123456789/104557 2025-11-04T08:14:08Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/104712 Title: An investigation on how big data has transformed local businesses Abstract: The breakthrough experienced in business and technology initiated by Big Data (BD) is absolutely ground breaking. Since its first introduction, the hype around this technology continues to remain persistent in successful worldwide businesses. However, the studies available on hand with regards to the implementation of BD in local businesses (LB) is extremely limited. Hence the purpose of this investigation was constructed to answer the following matter. Do Maltese businesses (MB) experience the same effects, benefits, advancements and developments when it comes to the adaptation of BD on a local scale when correlated to international businesses (IB)? Upon much research and consideration, a qualitative plan was utilised as it was decided upon to be the most suitable approach. After reaching out to local Maltese businesses (LMB) for interviews, the ten organisations chosen consist of different industry backgrounds, dimensions and magnitudes to ensure neutralism and unbiasedness. With reference to the findings of the investigation, patterns visible within the interviews suggest that BD does not incline towards any particular industry sector more than others. In majority, the interviewees claimed that Big Data Analytics (BDA): amplified sales percentages, improved business insight, increased customer growth and retention, boosted user targeting/marketing, strengthened customer service, contributed to cost efficiency and it also assisted in risk mitigation. In conclusion, the investigation indicates that even though the data collected by LMB is slightly restricted when compared to the vast data sets gathered by international corporations, these localised businesses still manage to reap the same benefits more or less. Having said that, the capabilities of BD in Malta should not be underestimated because of the country’s size given the positive results. This research also promotes BD to motivate traditional businesses who are intimidated by these data powered tools. It further highlights the importance of data education and adequate awareness which is vital before deployment. In a nutshell, the future of BD in Malta is definitely full of value, hence MB should be stimulated to invest in more data driven strategies. Description: B.Sc. Bus.& IT(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/104711 Title: Business intelligence adoption : assessing its impact on decision making within Maltese organisations Abstract: Business Intelligence (B.I.) is being adopted due to its widely regarded impact on decision making within organisations. However, limited research has been done on business intelligence within Maltese organisations. Therefore, this research aimed to analyse how B.I. is being adopted within micro to medium sized Maltese organisations and its impact. This was achieved through quantitative research where data was collected from seventy-four decision makers. It was found that B.I. is mainly used by ‘professionals’ and ‘managers’ within organisations undertaking ‘information and communication’ and ‘financial and insurance’ economic activity. However, the sector impacted most was ‘manufacturing, mining and quarrying and other industry’ while ‘financial and insurance’ was the fifth most impacted sector. Furthermore, access to business intelligence is an issue faced by small organisations and even more so by micro organisations. B.I. was found to have a ‘High’ impact by increasing confidence in the decision made and enabling access to data, among other benefits. Unintuitively, there was found to be no advantage in higher business analytical levels and B.I. maturity does not result in a higher B.I. impact. Furthermore, while the use and impact of B.I. are positively correlated, the use of B.I. is low with almost half of decision makers only using it weekly or monthly and mainly for strategic or tactical decisions. These findings imply that due to its high impact, B.I. adoption in Malta needs to increase within certain sectors and especially within micro organisations. Additionally, existing B.I. systems need to be improved since their maturity was found to be comparable to that of European organisations in 2014 and these systems should be used more frequently to maximise their impact. Description: B.Sc. Bus.& IT(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/104709 Title: An analysis of social engineering cyber threats in the Maltese tertiary economic sectors Abstract: The way we conduct business in modern times is more dependent on technology than ever before in human history. The transformation into a technology-centric world has introduced great opportunities for global enterprises to innovate in addition to an inherent risk in cybersecurity. Social engineering attacks are at an all-time high and pose a considerable threat to enterprises, resulting in tremendous financial and reputational repercussions that can often be catastrophic. This study aims to identify the social engineering threats in the Maltese Tertiary Vertical Economic sectors and identify how organisations are addressing these threats in accordance with best industry practices in the area. The research also seeks to study the importance of the very nature of every social engineering attack – the human element and how reinforcing an organisation's 'human firewall' plays a key role in an organisation's cyber defence. The findings posit that a satisfactory amount of controls are implemented in local enterprises to mitigate these attacks, however certain shortcomings were identified in the local context in comparison to global enterprises. The findings also suggest that there is a gap in cybersecurity efforts on a national level and present recommendations necessary to pave a cyber safe future for Maltese enterprises. Description: B.Sc. Bus.& IT(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/104708 Title: Why is the role of digital marketing vital to your real estate business? Abstract: This study seeks to examine how digital marketing is vital to real estate businesses in Malta and Gozo. As a consequence of this, the purpose of this study is to address a research void in the Maltese context that is related to the subject at hand, which has previously been examined in other countries, as shown by the literature review. The primary objective of this study is to gain some rich and in-depth insights regarding the application of digital marketing within the real estate industry on the local level. Other aims include analysing whether this type of marketing is more appealing to younger generations considering the ease with which it can be accessed by those generations through social media. In order to accomplish the predetermined goals, the qualitative research methodology was selected as the method of choice for collecting the primary data. Interviews were conducted with a sample of nine real estate companies based in the Maltese Islands that are currently making use of digital marketing. During these interviews, a number of semi-structured, in-depth questions were asked. Following the presentation of the findings of this study, an analysis and subsequent discussion of the data was carried out. The findings indicate that a significant number of the local businesses do engage in digital marketing, and each of the respondents emphasised the positive impact that they obtain from doing so. The other findings include the frequency with which the participants utilise social media, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of utilising such online platforms. According to the findings of this research, Facebook and Instagram are the platforms that are favoured the most for several reasons. These reasons include the possibility of reaching out to a younger audience as well as older individuals who are present on such platforms as well. In addition, the results of this research demonstrate that participation in social media is required for the vast majority of the participants in order to establish an online presence. In conclusion, it explains why it is vital for their company to engage in digital marketing. Description: B.Sc. Bus.& IT(Melit.) 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z