Adoption of big data by global chemical industries

Abstract

The new era of big data is influencing the chemical industry tremendously, providing several opportunities to reshape its operations. However, given the development of big data, the availability of free software, and the large amount of real- time data generated and stored, the chemical industry is still not fully adopting big data. Moreover, the industry is just starting to realise the importance of the large amount of data it owns to assist in making the right decisions and support its strategies. Therefore, this article explores the significance and influence of identified gap variables, namely professional competencies, business intelligence, data scalability, process monitoring, and investment in tools, for the adoption of big data in the chemical industry. This study follows a survey-based quantitative method using structural equation modelling. The data collected was studied to draw scientific conclusions about the myriad of hypothesised relationships. This was accomplished by employing a positivist paradigm in the research process. This study recognises the strong relationship between data scalability, process monitoring, and the investment in tools for big data adoption as a contribution towards industry application and practice. Mediation effects between the constructs and final measures were studied as part of this research, and the significance of their relationships was established. This study contributes to the application of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Based on the literature survey and research outcomes, this study also positions the chemical industry in Davenport and Harris's paradigm of analytical maturity. This article's conclusions and contributions towards practical application are expected to support a shift from conventional methods towards a data-driven approach to decision-making in the chemical industry. To further achieve the objectives, conclusions, and future research directions presented in this article, suggest government, academia, and industry must work together to overcome all present and potential challenges.