No Node Left Behind: Digital Transformation and Cultural Analytics at BanRepCultural
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the strategic integration of digital transformation and cultural analytics frameworks in public sector cultural institutions. This research focuses on how digital transformation, and cultural analytics as a component of it, can support public value creation at BanRepCultural, the cultural arm of Banco de la República, Colombia´s central bank. BanRepCultural offers a range of physical and digital services, and encompasses a network of public libraries, museums, and cultural centers.
Chapter 1 starts by outlining the thesis and the research context. Chapter 2 proposes an analytical lens for analyzing digital transformation institutional strategies to support public value creation. Chapter 3 applies this analytical lens to examine BanRepCultural's latest strategic plans and related documents. Chapters 4 and 5 propose new cultural analytics frameworks that would support Banco de la República’s strategic priorities, particularly in measuring diversity and digital reach across some of its programs. Chapter 4 examines the review network in BanRepCultural's publication, the Boletín Bibliográfico y Cultural (BCB), and proposes a methodology to assess curatorial diversity in this context. Chapter 5 analyzes the institution's Twitter activity (@BanRepCultural) up to September 2022, evaluating its digital engagement strategies. These analyses on BanRepCultural’s curatorial diversity and outreach account two ways the organization creates public value through its cultural activities and refines them to align with institutional goals and public interest.
The study presents examples of how cultural analytics can inform decision-making and drive organizational change in response to digital developments and shifting cultural behaviors both inside and outside a public cultural institution. It illustrates the process of drawing insights from data and translating them into strategies to strengthen public value creation. From a public value theory approach, this thesis explores how cultural analytics can measure progress regarding different dimensions of the public good generated by cultural institutions. These dimensions include reaching a wider audience, broadening access to curated content, and increasing curatorial diversity. This work contributes to understanding of how cultural institutions can use data analytics as part of their digital transformation to inform their approaches to fulfilling their public mandate concerning the dissemination of cultural heritage and access to knowledge.