MBA Theses and Dissertations (2022)

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Browsing MBA Theses and Dissertations (2022) by Subject "Data skills"

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    Influence of data literacy on managerial decision making in medium sized textile manufacturing companies in Kenya
    (Strathmore University, 2022) Kenyana, Clara
    Data literacy is important to any organization as it propels forward momentum and success. It is essential for employees and other stakeholders in an organization to understand the value of improving their data literacy. Organizations should be able to use data to influence their operations as well as make strategic decisions. On the other hand, poor data literacy is one of the main roadblocks to an organization’s success and a company’s ability to grow. Data-based decision making is therefore increasingly becoming popular in both private and public policy discourses and texts. Policy makers and top managers in organizations have placed tremendous faith in the power of data to transform practice. However, the fate of their efforts depends on the great measure of the very practice they hope to move. The relationship between data and practice, however, have been under conceptualized. There exists a gap regarding studies on the use and effect of data in decision making in the Kenyan Textile Industry. The purpose of this study therefore was to evaluate how data literacy of managers influence their decision making in the Kenyan textile industry. To fulfill this purpose, the study employed a positivism research philosophy as well as a descriptive research design to describe the situation in the Kenyan textile industry as it is. Quantitative method was used to collect data. The target population was 52 medium and large textile manufacturing companies operating outside the EPZ in Kenya. Probability sampling technique (simple random sampling) was employed to include the entire medium and large sized companies outside the Export Processing Zone. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Data analysis was done using STATA and MS excel, to provide descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations and correlations and regression. The findings are presented using graphs and tables. The study findings from the descriptive data and simple linear regression models indicated that there was high data accessibility and availability in the Kenyan textile manufacturing industry. The findings also indicate that there was a high level of data skills possessed by the managers of the selected Kenyan textile manufacturing companies. However, the findings revealed a mixed level of data usage among the managers. A positive correlation with managerial decision making as well as from the multiple regression the study established that data literacy by managers significantly contribute to managerial decision making. In conclusion, the study offers appropriate recommendations for managers, policy makers as well contribution to knowledge based on the study.