Globalization and Data Privacy: An Exploratory Study

Global organizations operate in multiple countries and are subject to both local and federal laws in each of the jurisdictions in which they conduct business. The collection, storage, processing, and transfer of data between countries or operating locations are often subject to a multitude of data privacy laws, regulations, and legal systems that are at times in conflict. Companies struggle to have the proper policies, processes, and technologies in place that will allow them to comply with a myriad of laws which are constantly changing. Using an established privacy management framework, this study provides a summary of major data privacy laws in the U.S., Europe, and India, and their implication for businesses. Additionally, in this paper, relationships between age, residence (country), attitudes and awareness of business rules and data privacy laws are explored for 331 business professionals located in the U.S and India. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0026-3.ch007