Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Data-Driven Decision Making has emerged as a critical factor shaping organizational change readiness across organizations operating in and around Selected States in South-South Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how data-driven decision making relates to organizational change readiness has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Selected States in South-South Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While data-driven decision making is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on organizational change readiness within Selected States in South-South Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to data-driven decision making are helping or hindering organizational change readiness — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Data-Driven Decision Making on organizational change readiness in Selected States in South-South Nigeria.
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 Selected States in South-South Nigeria?
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 Selected States in South-South Nigeria 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

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected States in South-South Nigeria, focusing specifically on how data-driven decision making relates to organizational change readiness within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.