THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER of BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE I
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THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE i ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE: LEVERAGING ACADEMIC RESEARCH EVIDENCE FOR MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING Juan C. Cruz, Doctor of Business Administration, 2020 This systematic review explores factors that influence practitioner use of academic research evidence in management decision-making. Academic research utilization is likely to improve organizational outcomes, but it is often the least used source of evidence in management decision-making. This review provides recommendations for management practitioners to facilitate the organizational adoption of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). A theory of change for EIDM adoption is proposed, based on implementation science and theories of innovation, behavior, culture, and change management. Ten findings of high and moderate confidence levels emerged from a thematic synthesis of 29 critically appraised studies. Based on these findings, major factors that influence EIDM uptake by management practitioners include research-practice alignment and engagement, practitioner purpose behind evidence utilization, use of knowledge brokers, leader and peer support, organizational learning culture, time management, organizational structure, resources, and practitioner research skills. Five recommendations for practice are proposed: (1) introduce EIDM to the organization, (2) promote a learning culture, (3) develop the organizational structure and resources, (4) provide research engagement experiences, and (5) facilitate dissemination and demonstration of evidence. Additionally, a capability maturity model is proposed to help practitioners diagnose organizational readiness for EIDM implementation and prescribe actions to facilitate adoption. This dissertation strengthens the evidence base for evidence-based management (EBMgt) and fills knowledge gaps about the process of using THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ii scientific research in management practice. This study clarifies the relationships between barriers and facilitators to evidence use, the decision-making environment, and strategies for implementing EIDM. Scholars are encouraged to bridge the research-practice gap by publishing research that is more accessible and relevant to management practitioners, cultivating relationships with practitioners, and teaching EBMgt to management students. Researchers are invited to further develop this research by conducting effect studies of the factors that influence EIDM uptake and refining the proposed maturity model. Keywords: evidence-based management, evidence-informed decision-making, implementation science, management practitioners, maturity model, research utilization, systematic review. THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE iii THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE: LEVERAGING ACADEMIC RESEARCH EVIDENCE FOR MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING By Juan Carlos Cruz Dissertation submitted to the School of Business, University of Maryland Global Campus, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration 2020 THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE iv © Copyright by Juan Carlos Cruz 2020 THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE v Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my wife Brenir and my children Breanne, Brigette, and Julian. I am grateful for their support, patience, and love as I worked through my doctoral studies and dissertation. My wife was especially supportive in helping me think through ideas for this dissertation and in caring for our family’s needs while I was studying. I am deeply appreciative of the sacrifices my family made to make it possible for me to complete this doctoral journey. It would have been very difficult to complete this dissertation without their support. THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE vi Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge several individuals for their support and guidance throughout this dissertation. First, I am grateful to my dissertation advisor Dr. John Sherlock for being my coach and mentor and for challenging me to consistently improve and think outside the box. I thank my dissertation second reader Dr. Deborah Wharff for her thoughtful questions and feedback that helped guide this work. I appreciate the support of Marina Caminis, the Academic Program Coordinator for the Department of Business Administration, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program runs smoothly. I also appreciate the support of Dr. Bryan Booth, Vice President and Dean of the UMGC School of Business, for his leadership in the DBA program. I thank Cynthia Thomes, the research librarian for the DBA program, for her guidance in my evidence search efforts. I am grateful to my management practitioner subject matter experts, Luis Cruz, Luis Camara Manoel, and Paul Frost, for helping me keep my research relevant to business decision-makers. I am also grateful to my scholarly subject matter experts, Dr. Eric Barends, Dr. Justin Blaney, Dr. Lee Boam, Dr. Kuan Collins, Dr. Camelia Fawzy, and Dr. Denise Rousseau, for helping me think through theoretical concepts, pointing me to relevant research, and helping me strengthen the rigor and transparency of my methodology. I am thankful to my friend and colleague, the future Dr. Patricia LePage for proof-reading my dissertation and providing thoughtful feedback. I could not have completed this doctoral program without the support of my DBA cohort, a wonderful team of colleagues and friends with whom I am proud to have shared this journey. Finally, I am grateful to my friend and mentor Jorge Alvarado who inspired and encouraged me to start and complete this doctoral journey. THE UNDEREXPLOITED FRONTIER OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE vii Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................... i Title Page ..................................................................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................ xi List of Figures ..............................................................................................................................................xii List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview of the Management Problem ............................................................ 1 Background and Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1 Problem Statement and Significance of the Problem ................................................................................ 3 Purpose of the Study and The Research Question ..................................................................................... 5 Rationale for the Study .............................................................................................................................. 6 Discussion of Concepts .............................................................................................................................. 7 Definitions and Terminology ..................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter Summary .................................................................................................................................... 10 Organization of the Dissertation .............................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2: Scoping Literature Review and Theoretical Frame ................................................................... 12 Literature Landscape................................................................................................................................ 12 Implementation Science....................................................................................................................... 13 Innovation Diffusion ............................................................................................................................ 15 Behavioral Science .............................................................................................................................. 16 Organizational Culture......................................................................................................................... 18 Organizational Change Management .................................................................................................. 21 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................................ 24 Theory of Change ...............................................................................................................................