Improving information reporting in data-intensive organisations by determining individual data presentation preferences

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Advancements in data capturing capabilities have allowed organisations to collectand store more data than at any other time in corporate history. However, researchers have found that a big proportion of this data is never used as managersoften feel overwhelmed by the new volume of information that they need to process. An investigation into the human cognitive processes showed thatthe difficulty associated with interpreting information is influenced by the format in which the information is conveyed. The strain placed on an individual'scognitive processes can be reduced in two ways. Firstly, by conveying information in a format with which the receiver is familiar. Secondly, by selecting aformat which supports the task that needs to be completed using the information.These are often competing factors and traditionally report designers had to decide on one of the two approaches when designing reports. This studyproposes an information encoding framework which considers both the preferences of the individuals receiving the information as well as the requirementsof the task that needs to be completed using the information.A comprehensive literature review preceded the development of the frameworkand serves as the foundation for the steps proposed in the framework.Twenty managers from six different data-intensive industries were consulted to validate the framework. Of the managers consulted, 68% believed that someof the decisions made in their organisations are based on opinions rather than factual data, even when data is available. A mere 53% of the managers reportedthat they are satisfied with the way information is currently presented to them while all the managers indicated that reports tailored to their individualpreferences would be of value to them. Finally, 95% of the managers consulted believed that the proposed information encoding framework could improve data communication in their organisations.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University