Reducing COVID-19 Racial Disparities: Why Some Counties Make Data-driven Decisions and Others Do Not?

Abstract Despite the progress in understanding the theoretical underpinnings behind governments’ use of performance information, there is limited understanding of whether governments use performance data to reduce racial and ethnic inequalities. This study uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to examine what actions local governments have taken to remedy the disproportionally negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic minorities. Specifically, the study examines the antecedents of the use of disaggregated performance data and studies the influence of the organizational culture and organizational learning on the use of disaggregated data in decision-making. An online survey was administered to 295 counties in the U.S., and the results indicate that attention dedicated to discussing and analyzing COVID-19 data and developmental organizational culture are positively associated with making data-driven decisions. Contrary to the widespread expectations, the percentage of minority population and prevalence of COVID-19 cases do not result in greater efforts to assist minorities in dealing with the pandemic.