The critical success factors of using social media for supply chain social sustainability in the freight logistics industry

• Published in: International journal of production research 2020-03, Vol.58 (5), p.1522-1539
• Main Authors: Orji, Ifeyinwa Juliet, Kusi-Sarpong, Simonov, Gupta, Himanshu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Best-Worst Method; critical success factors; Customer satisfaction; Digital media; freight logistics industry; Logistics; social media; Social networks; Social sustainability; Success factors; supply chain social sustainability; Supply chains; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0020-7543; 1366-588X
• DOI: 10.1080/00207543.2019.1660829

This paper pioneers the investigation of the significant factors that influence corporate decisions on the use of social media for supply chain social sustainability, and it highlights a crucial research area that is currently understudied in supply chain management literature. A theoretical framework was developed in this study based upon the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) and Human-Organization-Technology (HOT) theories to obtain the significant critical success factors (CSFs) which influence the use of social media for supply chain social sustainability in freight logistics firms in Nigeria. The Best-Worst Method was applied to analyse and rank the CSFs using their determined relative importance level. The research findings indicate that customer satisfaction, sufficient security and privacy, affordability and competitive pressure are the highest ranked CSFs to achieve supply chain social sustainability using of social media. This research has important implications for policy makers and practitioners to gain perspectives on how to foster the use of social media in the freight logistics sector for supply chain social sustainability.