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Envisaging Data Nirvana: A Delphi study of ideal data culture

journal contribution
posted on 2025-04-10, 23:57 authored by Jocelyn CranefieldJocelyn Cranefield, Matthew Lewellen, Spencer LilleySpencer Lilley, Gillian Oliver
AbstractIn recent decades, the proliferation of data and advances in information technology have led organizations to value data more highly and aim to build a data culture that is suitable for promoting and sustaining data‐related strategic outcomes. However, what a “good” data culture comprises is often expressed abstractly and there is no consensus about how such a culture should manifest in practice. This study explores the key dimensions and attributes of an ideal data culture, as perceived by expert practitioners in large, data‐rich public sector organizations. Using a two‐stage Delphi method, we engaged with 14 data management experts from Aotearoa New Zealand to understand their views on achieving “Data Nirvana” in practice, focusing on the attributes that explain an ideal data culture. Five categories of ideal data culture are identified: strategic agility, ethical use, human centricity, capability, and controls and discipline. These are linked through two unifying themes: trust and trustworthiness, and value integration. The resulting framework for data culture comprises seven elements. The study provides insights into the aspirational potential of data and the realities of organizational data practice, contributing to a deeper understanding of data culture.

History

Preferred citation

Cranefield, J., Lewellen, M., Lilley, S. & Oliver, G. (n.d.). Envisaging Data Nirvana: A Delphi study of ideal data culture. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.25008

Journal title

Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology

Publisher

Wiley

Publication status

Published online

Online publication date

2025-04-09

ISSN

2330-1635

eISSN

2330-1643

Language

en

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