When blockchain meets social-media: Will the result benefit social media analytics for supply chain operations management?

Abstract

Social media analytics is very critical in modern supply chain operations management (SCOM). However, in terms of methods, conducting social media analytics (SMA) for SCOM faces many challenges. Problems such as data accuracy (e.g., fake data), user privacy, data security, etc. are all present. Recently, with the emergence of blockchain technology (BCT), many new social media apps and platforms are developed. Motivated by the fact that (i) SMA is important for SCOM, (ii) the traditional social media (TSM) has insufficiency, and (iii) the “blockchain technology supported social media” (BSM) platforms have emerged, we explore whether and how the BSM would enhance social media analytics for SCOM. To be specific, by reviewing papers published in leading SCOM journals, we identify the applications and limitations of SMA for SCOM. Then, we conduct real case studies to examine the shortcomings of the TSM platforms and reveal features of their BSM counterparts. We investigate how the blockchain technology would potentially improve the use of SMA for SCOM. Finally, a future research agenda is proposed.