s@rLink - a virtual platform for supporting networked governance of human rights issues in global supply chains

Purpose and goal

Globalworks Lund AB developed a big-data driven analytical system for systematic social risk management in global supply chains. Our solution, Social@risk, is based on the observation that workers and other stakeholders in developing countries write about their grievances on social media. Social@risk collects these grievances and makes them accessible for expert analysis. The purpose of this project was to develop and test a virtual platform (s@rLink) for collaboration and visualisation that allows experts to engage with large amounts of online grievances.

Expected results and effects

The project result is a prototype of s@rLink, which consists of three modules: (1) Interactive text filtering and visualisation, (2) a dedicated browser to display relevant posts that we identify with our own search algorithms or with machine learning algorithms, and (3) network visualisations of social media posts. During the project, we realized that experts and clients have different requirements for s@rLink. We decided to prioritize experts needs at this point in time because their insights are a prerequisite for developing an optimal platform for client users.

Planned approach and implementation

We developed our prototype in the context of three assignments related to working conditions in the poultry industry (Thailand), garment manufacturing (Vietnam), and electronics manufacturing (China). Labour and human rights experts collaborated closely with data scientists in order to develop and adapt analytical tools. We communicated with clients through meetings, workshops, and reports. Clients provided feedback. Their insights are deployed for further adaptations of s@rLink.