Data Driven Strategic Decision Making and Performance of Agritech Start Ups in Kenya

Abstract

The leveraging of technology and data by organizations in today’s business environment has become increasingly critical in driving performance and building competitiveness. This is powered by advancements in technology and data aggregation capabilities. This study was conducted in a bid to establish the influence of data-driven strategic decision-making practices on performance of Agritech startups in Kenya. The research adopted a descriptive cross sectional survey design with the study population comprising of all the Kenyan based Agritech startups in the Tracxn technologies database. The study utilized structured questionnaires administered to senior management of Agritech startups in the identified population. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The study found that there was a positive influence of statistical tools, data mining and data visualization tools on firm performance related to financial metrics and increase in revenue. It also established that machine learning as an analytics tool was not widely adopted by Agritech startups in Kenya. The study emphasizes the need to invest more in data technologies and integrate the same in their decision-making processes to enhance performance and create competitive advantage. The study also recommends to Agritech startups to invest in enhancement of data quality as this affects the quality of decisions made and recommends adoption of good strategies that promote high performance and competitive advantage if data analytics is to be truly resourceful