The negative impact of social networks on supply chain management: systematic literature review

Abstract

This systematic literature review examines the negative impacts of social media (SM) on supply chain management (SCM). Pre-defined selection criteria were used on four research questions to identify a hundred relevant publications from the Scopus database, including publishers such as Emerald, Elsevier, Springer, Inderscience, and Wiley. The review begins with the first research question – the characteristics of the selected publications. Then, the authors delve into the second question – negative impacts, such as reputational damage, profit losses, and unreliable data. The third question highlights supply chain (SC) processes that are particularly vulnerable to the influence of social media. In addressing the fourth question, the authors identified the most common social networks (SN) discussed in related literature. Despite the comprehensive research, no publication thoroughly explored these four research questions, pointing to gaps for future empirical research. The limitation of focusing solely on English-language literature and other disciplines suggests the need for broader studies. This work deepens understanding of this underexplored area and contrasts the documented positive impacts.