Building a Data-Driven Culture A Case Study in the Airport Industry
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Management and economics of innovation (MPMEI), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Brogeland, Edvin
Wahrén, Martin
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
More and more firms are adopting data-driven practices, where decisions are made efficiently
and with high accuracy by relying on data. This requires a data-driven culture, that supports
and encourages the use of data for decision making. This master’s thesis explores the success
factors and challenges in implementing a data-driven culture within a firm with heterogeneous
operations, focusing on the Swedish airport operator Swedavia. Through a case study, the
research compares barriers and enablers for a data-driven culture from theory with identified
factors at the case company. The factors are presented in seven areas: management &
leadership, resistance to change, vision & strategy, skills & competence, data management &
technology, culture & communication, and results measuring & incentives.
The result is that the challenges and success factors found at the firm aligns with factors found
in theory to a high degree. Some prominent challenges that were found at the case company
include lack of a tangible data strategy, lack of data literacy, and missing data governance
practices. Opportunities that were identified include top management commitment, a fact-
based mindset, and data democratization. Some factors were identified at Swedavia that has
not been discussed in previous research. For instance, Swedavia has success factors related to
collaboration with other airports and multi-competence among employees, which are not
covered in existing literature. Conversely, barriers such as inter-functional communication
issues, limited access to computers for operational level employees, and a perception of older
coworkers being reluctant to adapt to new practices present challenges that are also less
discussed in theory. In addition to contributing with empirical depth to existing literature, this
thesis provides actionable recommendations for building a data-driven culture at Swedavia
and similar organizations. These recommendations include ensuring clear commitment from
both top and middle management, formulating and effectively communicating a data strategy
and vision, building robust data governance practices, and promoting cross-functional
collaboration.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Data-Driven Culture , Data-Driven Decision making , Cultural Transformation , Airport Industry , Change Management