Exploring Big Data Usage to Predict Supply Chain Effectiveness: A Moderated and Mediated Model Linkage

Abstract

This study aims to predict the direct and indirect relationship between the usage of Big Data and the effectiveness of the Supply Chain (SC). Additionally, it identifies Top Management Support (TMS) as a moderator. The data were collected through the survey of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and most respondents were senior and middle-level managers with in-depth knowledge of the SC and Big Data usage. SPSS and PLS 3.0 were used to test the hypothesis. The results demonstrate that Big Data usage impacts direct supply chain effectiveness (SCE), however, supply chain agility (SCA) and supply chain networks (SCNs) as mediators between SCE. TMS was used as a moderator between big data usage, SCA and SCNs. The research suggests that, among SMEs, this is the first study to be carried out in Pakistan that looked at the relationship between the usage of big data and the efficacy of SCs, with TMS acting as a moderator (SMEs).