Big Data Attributes and Knowledge Discovery Process: An Empirical Analysis of the Anticipated Mediating Role of Cloud Computing

Abstract

This study attempt to investigate whether cloud computing can act as a facilitating agent in support of knowledge discovery from big data. The study proposed a number of propositions to investigate this possible effect and impact between computing cloud, big data and knowledge discovery.  The telecommunication industry was selected as the research population and the study sample covered the main leading telecommunication companies in Jordan. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to a selected study sample. The proposed models of the study were tested using factor analysis and PLS method.  The results indicated that there is no mediation effect as proposed by the research model between cloud computing characteristics and knowledge discovery processes via could computing.  The results also revealed that big data attributes has a direct significate impact on a selected knowledge discovery processes and a selected cloud computing characteristics. The study also advised on some interesting finding on the three domains of the study.

Keywords: Cloud computing characteristics, big data attributes, knowledge discovery processes in database, PLS method.