From Awareness to Action: Operationalizing Data Literacy in a Multinational Enterprise

Fostering data literacy across all organizational levels has become a strategic imperative in incumbent firms’ digital transformation efforts. While prior research clarifies the competencies that constitute data literacy, less is known about the organizational efforts required to identify and address literacy gaps. This study draws on a revelatory case of a multinational industrial enterprise to examine how the need for data literacy was recognized, how the response was structured, and how targeted initiatives were embedded into broader transformation efforts. Our findings show how organizations can progress from initial awareness to action by establishing data governance structures, aligning training with competency needs, and fostering data culture. This study contributes to data literacy research by theorizing its operationalization as both a managerial and socially embedded organizational process. It also provides actionable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to plan, structure, and implement data literacy initiatives at scale.