Influencing information quality: Evidence from a military organization

The Information Systems (IS) literature has focused on developing methods for assessing the level of Information Quality (IQ), paying scant attention to contextual factors that influence the level of IQ and the introduction of strategic initiatives for its improvement. In this paper, we address that lacuna, by exploring the factors that can have an impact on the way people perceive IQ, and by investigating how organizations can improve their level of subjective IQ. Through a canonical action research approach and interviews with 43 individuals from a multinational military organization, we demonstrate that em- ployees’ tenure and background, as well as the organizational culture and hierarchy can have a signif- icant influence on the level of subjective IQ. Moreover, we delineate how organizations can influence knowledge creation, employee satisfaction, organizational efficiency, and productivity by implementing an IQ strategy. Our work contributes to the IS theory by enhancing understandings regarding IQ beyond its assessment and to practice by providing organizations with ways to improve IQ.