PurposeDespite the increasing role of the data warehouse as a supportive decision-making tool in today's business world, academic research for measuring its effectiveness has been lacking. This paucity of academic interest stimulated us to evaluate data warehousing effectiveness in the organizational context of Jordanian banks.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops a theoretical model specific to the data warehouse system domain that builds on the DeLone and McLean model. The model is empirically tested by means of structural equation modelling applying the partial least squares approach and using data collected in a survey questionnaire from 127 respondents at Jordanian banks.FindingsEmpirical data analysis supported that data quality, system quality, user satisfaction, individual benefits and organizational benefits have made strong contributions to data warehousing effectiveness in our organizational data context.Practical implicationsThe results provide a better understanding of the data warehouse effectiveness and its importance in enabling the Jordanian banks to be competitive.Originality/valueThis study is indeed one of the first empirical attempts to measure data warehouse system effectiveness and the first of its kind in an emerging country such as Jordan.