DATA-DRIVEN FRAMEWORKS FOR IMPROVING DECISION-MAKING IN U.S. PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

This study examined the statistical relationships between data-driven framework maturity and decision-making effectiveness across U.S. public and private organizations using a quantitative, explanatory, cross-sectional comparative design. Analysis was conducted at the organizational level for 140 organizations, including 68 public-sector and 72 private-sector organizations. Data-driven framework maturity was operationalized through five dimensions—governance maturity, data quality management, architecture and integration depth, analytics capability, and decision integration—while decision-making effectiveness was assessed using five outcome families: decision timeliness, decision consistency, accuracy/error sensitivity, compliance-adjusted outcomes, and performance attainment. Descriptive results showed higher mean digital maturity in private organizations (M = 3.62, SD = 0.68) than public organizations (M = 3.28, SD = 0.74), while regulatory intensity was higher in public organizations (M = 4.01, SD = 0.63) than private organizations (M = 3.42, SD = 0.77). Correlation analysis indicated positive associations among maturity dimensions, with the strongest inter-correlation between analytics capability and decision integration (r = 0.71). Reliability results were acceptable to strong across constructs, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.80 to 0.90 and composite reliability from 0.83 to 0.91; confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model (CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.061, SRMR = 0.049). Collinearity diagnostics were within acceptable limits (VIF range: 1.20–2.56). Regression results showed that maturity dimensions improved explanatory power beyond controls, with adjusted R² reaching 0.41 for performance attainment and 0.36 for decision timeliness. Decision integration was positively associated with decision timeliness (β = 0.31, 95% CI [0.14, 0.46]), accuracy/error sensitivity (β = 0.28, 95% CI [0.11, 0.43]), and performance attainment (β = 0.30, 95% CI [0.13, 0.45]). Analytics capability was also positively related to performance attainment (β = 0.26, 95% CI [0.10, 0.40]), while governance maturity aligned most strongly with compliance-adjusted outcomes (β = 0.29, 95% CI [0.12, 0.44]).