Research opportunities through the use of social media?

The rapid grow of technology, its perceived ease of use and a demanding working environment, has led to the increasing use of social software by businesses. Reported evidence reveals that companies have enhanced their performance through developing social networks; being transparent by sharing information through collaborative communities appears to improve organisational productivity. Limited emphasis has been placed on the use of social media in Operations Management (OM) research and its impact on generating research outcomes. This paper, therefore, aims to explore the factors that inspire or prevent scholars from using social media as a key element within their research projects.