Enhancing Decision Making with Process Metadata: Theoretical Framework, Research Tool, and Exploratory Examination Adir Even, G. Shankaranarayanan, and Stephanie Watts Boston University School of Management, Information Systems Department, Boston, MA {adir, gshankar, swatts}@bu.edu Abstract The quality of the data used in a decision task has important implications for the decision outcome. Recent research suggests that data quality perception is context-dependent. This study examines process metadata, which describes how a particular data set was created and delivered, as a supporting aid for contextual quality assessment. We first develop a model for understanding the effects of process metadata on the decision outcome when it is provided together with intrinsic quality measurements. We then describe a research tool developed to assess the effect of process metadata. An exploratory test using this tool suggests that both data quality perceptions and the associated process metadata have beneficial effects on outcomes, when mediated by decision process efficiency. The model developed in this study and the preliminary empirical results highlight the value of embedding quality metadata within computer-supported decision environments. Keywords: Decision-making, Data Quality, Decision Support Systems, Database, Metadata 1. Introduction Data quality is becoming a critical issue in information systems due to the rapid growth of data volumes and their complexity. Techniques for measuring and improving data quality [2, 14, 22] often tend to treat the data in isolation from the business context, not accounting for contextual factors such as the task in which the data is used, timing issues, and individual characteristics of the decision-maker. Contextual factors have been shown to strongly influence data quality perceptions [8, 19], which affect the decision process. Researchers are beginning to account for contextual factors [6] and individual differences [23] when examining data quality. This paper furthers this notion, presenting theory and preliminary evidence associating contextual data quality with objective decision outcomes. While we acknowledge the distinction between “data” and “information”, literature in data quality management uses the two terms “data quality” and “information quality” interchangeably. Since we are examining the quality of the input, be it data or information, to the decision-task, we do not believe that the interchangeable use of these terms impacts this research. Managerial decision tasks are sophisticated and often unstructured [10]. Such tasks reflect a process that consists of multiple stages - specifying requirements, gathering information, evaluating alternatives, and formulating decisions [10, 12]. The efficiency and success of managerial decision- making are influenced by the quality of its informational inputs [5, 7, 11]. Understanding the impact of data quality is critical for managerial decision tasks, and with the exception of studies by Chengalur-Smith et al. [4] and Fisher et al. [6], research on the impact of data quality on managerial decision-making lags behind the importance of this phenomenon for organizations. This study explores the role of metadata in supporting contextual decision-making. Metadata is abstracted information about data that resides in information systems. Studies have posited that providing metadata, particularly quality and process metadata, to end-users helps them better assess the data quality in the context of the decision task. Quality metadata consists of measurements such as accuracy or completeness. It is also referred to as data tags [21], or data quality information [6]. Providing users with such metadata during the decision process can improve decision outcomes [4, 6]. Process metadata [9, 17] captures information about data creation and delivery, such as sources, processing methods, storage, and end- usage targets. Providing such metadata to business users was argued to improve their ability to assess data quality and thus enhance decision-making [16], but this effect has not been previously tested. This research investigates process metadata as an additional source of value that organizations can provide to their decision-makers to improve decision outcomes. Process metadata, by adding a Proceedings of the 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences - 2006 1 0-7695-2507-5/06/$20.00 (C) 2006 IEEE