DATA-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING IN PUBLIC SECTOR IN KENYA. A CASE OF THE MINISTRY OF COOPERATIVE AND MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The Ministry of Cooperative and MSME Development holds a key position in promoting the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are vital to economic growth and job creation. To improve service delivery and support strategic planning, the Ministry has begun incorporating data driven leadership into its operations. However, the impact of this data driven leadership on strategic decision-making has not been thoroughly examined. Despite the government's ongoing push to digitize public services, significant obstacles remain in fully integrating data driven leadership into the Ministry’s strategic planning and decision-making activities. This study aimed to assess the relationship between Data-Driven Leadership and strategic decision making in public sector in Kenya within the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs Development. The study was guided by transformational leadership theory. A descriptive research design guided the study. The target population comprised 300 officials from the Ministry of Cooperative and MSME Development, from which a sample of 120 respondents was selected. Primary data were collected using both structured and semi-structured questionnaires. quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Multiple regression analysis was employed to evaluate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The findings indicated that Data-Driven Leadership (β = 0.615, p < 0.05) significantly impact the effectiveness of decision-making. The study concludes that Data-Driven Leadership significantly enhances strategic decision-making by fostering evidence-based insights, efficiency, and organizational adaptability.