Agility in banking: leveraging data and decision-making for organizational excellence

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of data and information processing capabilities, rational decision-making and data-sharing culture as antecedents of organizational agility in the Indian banking sector. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a sample of 379 employees from public and private sector banks in India. Further, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed to develop and validate a model of organizational agility within the Indian banking sector. Through the findings, it was identified that data and information processing capabilities, rational decision-making and data-sharing culture are significant predictors of organizational agility. Findings The study findings confirm data and information processing capability as the critical driver of organizational agility, particularly in the context of the banking industry in India. Furthermore, it was found that rational decision-making partially mediates this relation and outlines how collective data capabilities translate into adaptive organizational solutions. In addition, data sharing culture as a moderator expands the applicability of open data culture in determining the impact of data processing skills in data sharing. It remains particularly relevant in the context of the contemporary digitalization of the Indian banking sector, in which being responsive in terms of rules, customers and technologies can have a huge impact. Originality/value The present study contributes to scant literature pertaining to the relationship of data and information processing capabilities, rational decision-making and data-sharing culture with organizational agility. It extends the theoretical understanding of agility by integrating technological, cultural and cognitive enablers, offering a multidimensional perspective. Also, it contributes to the contextual understanding of agility in emerging markets, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Indian banks.