Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Advisor(s)

Tracy Kizer

Second Advisor

Kimberly Smith-Jentsch

Third Advisor

Robert Ford

Keywords

data-storytelling, data storytelling, data analysis, narrative paradigm theory, elaboration likelihood model

Abstract

People tell stories to understand the world around them. Life experience fills us with information and knowledge that we store, retrieve, and communicate to inform and persuade decision-making. And this persuasive process is sometimes driven more by emotion than logic. Telling stories allows us to connect emotionally and better persuade others to help them make informed decisions. For business owners, storytelling is essential to communicate with customers, employees, and investors in a way that data and facts alone cannot. This dissertation investigates the relationship between the use of narrative as a construct of data-driven storytelling and its impact on the persuasive effect of data-driven analysis. This research utilizes the Narrative Paradigm theory and Elaboration Likelihood model to measure the impact of narratives, in combination with data and data visualizations, and an individual's need for cognition to measure the persuasive impact of storytelling and narrative in communicating data-driven insights.

Share

COinS