Of Math and Men: The Importance of People in an Analytics Driven Culture

Abstract

This research finds that people are the most important aspect in an analytics driven culture. This research also finds that the right data analytics-focused leaders and practitioners (i.e., data analysts and experts), managed within the right organizational personnel structure or chain of command, are essential for developing and maintaining an analytics driven culture. Each of the two core role subgroups (i.e., leadership and management and data analysts and data experts) has distinct responsibilities and requires the application of analytical understanding and prowess along with communication skills, specifically in translating the analytical findings at the tactical level (e.g., data analysts) and heralding the value that the utilization of analytics provides at the strategic and operational levels (e.g., leadership and management). Members of an organization’s le