Digital Key performance indicators for corporate decision-making to manage innovation in commercial agriculture

Abstract

Research and development (R&D) leading to improvements in the commercial agriculture sector (CAS) is envisaged as a strategy to achieve the specific targets set forth under the second Sustainable Development Goal: ‘Zero-Hunger’. Identification and understanding of the key issues of performance management in R&D and how could they be tackled sensibly to achieve those targets are of prime interest in the R&D agenda of R&D institutes. It challenges academics as well as theoreticians to look for new approaches to incorporate many performance aspects structurally in strengthening the theoretical base of performance management of R&D through KPIs. The long-awaited requirement for change in the decision- making model was substantiated by the findings discovered in this qualitative study conducted through Thematic analysis. The study involved an in-depth analysis of the perceptions and attitudinal statements regarding the utilization of KPIs from 32 senior administrators across 24 research institutes in Sri Lanka. It was found that digital systems could be utilized to streamline the disorganized, disconnected, and unresponsive nature of the current performance management systems (PMSs) in R&D institutes. Second, real-time decision-making based on a system of collaborative digital KPIs is anticipated to enable a flexible institutional setup that is capable of framing insights for demand-driven and socially acceptable agricultural R&D. Further, it is expected to encourage the seamless inclusion of rural communities that are largely ignored in the current practice of R&D implementation as R&D stakeholders in decision-making processes.