Open Data and Organization Development (OD) in Africa: A Cross-Country, Focus-Group Comparative Approach.

AFRICA; ZIMBABWE

Organization development (OD) is a data-driven process for change. The effective use of OD interventions and tools has become more dependent on information technology (IT) initiatives like open data (OpD). Open data advocates for the organization's information culture and its role in its performance. Based on the precepts of the "structurational" model of technology, which posits that technology is a structural property of an organization, this study examined the relationship between open data as technological input and organizational performance using cross-country focus groups within and outside Africa. This study administered a focus group to measure the organizations' level of open data adoption and performance indicators like revenue growth and customer satisfaction across three countries--Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the United Arab Emirates. Africa, a continent representing approximately 16.72% of the global population is to meet its expected potential, must embrace open data as one of its growth variables and investigate its role as an instrument for organization development. This cross-country approach allows a deep dive into organization analysis to (1) benchmark outcomes from organizations between two African countries and (2) benchmark African countries against global practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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