20 Years of Scientific Study on Business Intelligence and Decision-Making Performance: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Background: Business intelligence (BI) is an area in which data analytics is applied to generate crucial information supporting business decision-making and has been a significant domain for over three decades. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether investments can effectively improve organizational outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge generated and disseminated in previous investigations related to the intricate relationship between BI and decision-making performance (DMP) over the past 20 years. Methods: An R-tool namely bibliometrix, which supports suggested workflow for conducting bibliometrics and includes descriptive as well as knowledge structure analysis was used on a dataset containing 1,484 English-language articles published between 2003 and 2023 and indexed in Web of Science databases. Results: The results showed that field study has stabilized over the past three years, signaling a shift in the focus of scholars. However, only a few studies use decision theory and further investigations are required to fully understand how BI impacts DMP both inside and outside organizational boundaries. Conclusion: Based on the results, BI studies tend to be more application-oriented and there is a need to change the emphasis from focusing only on tools to variables such as the role of effective use and competencies that might improve decision quality.