An experimental study of the effects of contextual data quality and task complexity on decision performance

The effects of information quality and the importance of information have been reported in the information systems (IS) literature. However, little has been learned about the impact of data quality (DQ) on decision performance. This study explores the effects of contextual DQ and task complexity on decision performance. To examine the effects of contextual DQ and task complexity, a laboratory experiment was conducted. Based on two levels of contextual DQ and two levels of task complexity, this study had a 2×2 factorial design. The dependent variables were problem-solving accuracy and time. The results demonstrated that the effects of contextual DQ on decision performance were significant. The findings suggest that decision makers can expect to improve their decision performance by enhancing contextual DQ. This research extends a body of research examining the effects of factors that can be tied to human decision-making performance.