Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Data-Driven Decision Making has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with organizational change readiness. This growing interest reflects the recognition that data-driven decision making does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector.

Within the context of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector, this relationship carries particular significance. Organizations in this setting operate under a distinct combination of economic, regulatory, and market conditions that may amplify or dampen the effect of data-driven decision making on organizational change readiness, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on data-driven decision making, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with organizational change readiness, particularly within the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. Many organizations continue to make decisions about data-driven decision making without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect organizational change readiness. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Data-Driven Decision Making on organizational change readiness in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector.
2. To assess the extent to which data-driven decision making influences organizational change readiness within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with data-driven decision making in relation to organizational change readiness.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing data-driven decision making in order to improve organizational change readiness.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of data-driven decision making on organizational change readiness in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector?
2. To what extent does data-driven decision making influence organizational change readiness within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with data-driven decision making in relation to organizational change readiness?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize data-driven decision making in order to improve organizational change readiness?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of business analysis, this study has practical value for management teams within the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector seeking to understand how data-driven decision making translates into measurable outcomes around organizational change readiness. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Data-Driven Decision Making and its relationship with organizational change readiness within the context of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. It reflects a MSc-level scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.