CREATING A CULTURE OF DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING by Kevin Rogers __________________________ Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration ___________________________ Liberty University, School of Business October 2020 Abstract Researchers have consistently shown that a supportive culture is one of the most crucial success factors in the implementation of any big data solution. Creating a culture that supports data- driven decision-making is a difficult but ultimately required step in transforming an organization into one that can readily and successfully adopt business intelligence technologies. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the ways in which organizations can foster a culture of smarter decision-making and accountability so that businesses can improve operational metrics and ultimately profitability. Participants identified three major themes that drive the adoption of a data-driven culture. These themes included building trust between decision-makers and their data, developing a team-driven culture, and instituting data governance and standard work processes to maintain quality of systems. Keywords: Business intelligence, culture, decision-making, big data, machine learning CREATING A CULTURE OF DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING by Kevin Rogers Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Liberty University, School of Business October 2020 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Leah Rogers. Your encouragement and never- ending support have never wavered. You deserve all the thanks in the world for your dependable inspiration and unquestionable love. Acknowledgments I would like to first acknowledge my dissertation chair, Dr. Melissa Connell, for her many hours spent critiquing this doctoral study. Dr. Connell’s invaluable input helped in many ways to shape the final output of the dissertation process. I also would like to thank my family, especially my mother, Tammy Rogers. Without her encouragement, I would not have initially embarked on the doctoral journey. Her commitment to education and support of her children has been an inspiration throughout my entire life. Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Section 1: Foundation of the Study ................................................................................................. 1 Background of the Problem ...................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement .................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose Statement ..................................................................................................................... 4 Nature of the Study ................................................................................................................... 5 Discussion of Method ......................................................................................................... 5 Discussion of Design .......................................................................................................... 7 Summary of the Nature of the Study .................................................................................. 8 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 9 Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................................. 9 Discussion of Concept 1 ................................................................................................... 10 Discussion of Concept 2 ................................................................................................... 10 Discussion of Relationships Between Concepts ............................................................... 11 Summary of the Conceptual Framework .......................................................................... 12 Definition of Terms................................................................................................................. 12 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ......................................................................... 14 Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 14 Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 16 Delimitations ..................................................................................................................... 17 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 18 i Reduction of Gaps............................................................................................................. 19 Implications for Biblical Integration ................................................................................. 20 Relationship to Field of Study .......................................................................................... 22 Summary of the Significance of the Study ....................................................................... 22 A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature ......................................................... 23 Decision-Making in Business ........................................................................................... 23 Decision Models ......................................................................................................... 24 Micro-Decisions Support Strategic Decisions ............................................................ 26 Emotions and Cognitive Biases .................................................................................. 28 Opportunities in Transportation .................................................................................. 29 Intuition and Technological Substitution .................................................................... 31 Data-Driven Decision-Making.................................................................................... 32 Summary of Decision-Making in Business ................................................................ 34 Business Intelligence and Data Maturity .......................................................................... 35 Business Intelligence and Decision-Making ............................................................... 36 Information Technology and Relationship to Business Intelligence .......................... 39 History and Opportunities ........................................................................................... 40 Advantages of Business Intelligence .......................................................................... 42 Business Intelligence Opportunities and Applications ............................................... 43 Applications of Advanced Data Science..................................................................... 45 Data Maturity Models and Characteristics ................................................................. 46 Summary of Business Intelligence and Data Maturity ............................................... 49 Culture Transformation ..................................................................................................... 50 ii Importance of a Data-Driven Culture ......................................................................... 51 Culture and its Relationship to Strategic Management............................................... 54 Culture as a Catalyst for Execution of Strategy .......................................................... 56 Transformation of Culture .......................................................................................... 57 History and Future of Cultures of Data-Driven Decision-Making ............................. 61 Characteristics of a Culture of Data-Driven Decision-Making .................................. 63 Summary of Culture Transformation .......................................................................... 66 Potential Themes and Perceptions .................................................................................... 66 Summary of the Literature Review ................................................................................... 69 Transition and Summary of Section 1 .................................................................................... 69 Section 2: The Project ................................................................................................................... 71 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................................... 71 Role of the Researcher ............................................................................................................ 72 Participants .............................................................................................................................. 75 Research Method and Design ................................................................................................