Blockchain technology in supply chain management for sustainable performance: Evidence from the airport industry

This paper investigates the major implications of blockchain technology for operations management (OM) with a focus on the decision-making processes in supply chain management (SCM) from the perspective of sustainable performance. The links between blockchain technology, OM, and sustainability issues within SCM are analysed. This two-step research study includes a broad review of the main contributions in the literature that have focused on blockchain technology and OM in SCM. It covers the airport industry from the perspective of sustainable performance and data analysis by reading and processing financial statements, non-financial reports, and the website of one strategic airport infrastructure in southern Italy. The Italian airport infrastructure investigated successfully adopted the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) platform. This is one of the main blockchain technology applications in the airport industry. It promotes cooperation between the main players in the aviation industry and the air traffic controllers (ATCs) to reduce fragmentation, inefficiency, and uncoordinated operations. It also allows information and data sharing, but it is still not possible to observe a high level of sustainable performance.Although the adoption of blockchain technology presents numerous benefits, especially in improving OM, these new technological solutions do not guarantee the achievement of the best performance in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability issues. Managers and policy makers need to work together to create a real forum within their collaborative network in which there is a common culture and mutual trust. This article adds an interesting reading of blockchain technology to the existing research with concerns about OM and sustainability issues within the airport setting in Italy.     

Blockchain adoption challenges in supply chain: An empirical investigation of the main drivers in India and the USA

The digitalization phenomenon is leveraging new relationship models through the entire supply chain network. In this outlook, blockchain is a cutting-edge technology that is already transforming and remodeling the relationships between all members of logistics and supply chain systems. Yet, while studies on blockchain have gained a relative pace over the recent years, the literature on this topic does not report sufficient research cases on blockchain adoption behavior at the individual level. The present study, therefore, aims to bridge this gap, notably by helping understand the individual blockchain adoption behavior in the logistics and supply chain field in India and the USA. Drawing on the emerging literature on blockchain, supply chain and network theory, as well as on technology acceptance models (TAMs), we have developed a model based on a slightly-altered version of the classical unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The model being developed was then estimated using the Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). As the model was eventually supported, the results obtained revealed the existence of distinct adoption behaviors between India-based and USA-based professionals. In parallel, the findings appear as a useful contribution to and a sign of progress for the literature on IT adoption, SCM, and blockchain.     

Blockchain in the operations and supply chain management: Benefits,challenges and future research opportunities

Blockchain technologies have captured the imagination of scholars, managers, and practitioners around the world. It is widely accepted by these actors that blockchain is not a buzzword, but a highly disruptive technology that is already remodeling the organizations and their supply chain business models. Despite the meaningful advance in the last years, blockchain applications regarding the operations and supply chain management (OSCM) are still in their infancy. Little is known about the role of blockchain in terms of operations traceability, as well in areas such as e-commerce, agriculture, public services, etc. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks to extend our understanding of blockchain applications in OSCM and how firms create and capture business value with blockchain. To this effect, this Special Issue will provide a well-articulated and in-depth discussion of the role of blockchain in creating value in the domain of OSCM. Specifically, it is expected that more light is shed on how blockchain integrates with and impacts new business models, transforms relationships, and improves performance and competitive advantage in OSCM. Also, the evolution of blockchain was reviewed in order to provide a strong background to the readers. The literature review was performed taking into account a bibliometric perspective of blockchain-related publications. The review supports the importance of this Special Issue by highlighting the urgent needs of this topic in this reputable journal. Finally, we provide future research directions and a guide for the papers presented in this Special Issue.     

Inter-organizational systems use and supply chain performance: Mediating role of supply chain management capabilities

Inter-organizational Systems (IOS) are network-enabled information systems that extend boundaries of an organization. There is a growing interest among researchers and practitioners to understand how the use of IOS enhances firm performance. In this study, we examine how IOS use impacts an organization’s supply chain management (SCM) capabilities and supply chain performance. Drawing on the resource-based view theory, we examine two mechanisms that are essential for enhanced supply chain performance: (a) efficient IOS external utilization regarding its networked partners and (b) the maximization of IOS organizational management capabilities in supply chain management. Using data from 193 respondents from various manufacturers and distributors of fast-moving consumer goods, we confirm all the hypotheses posited in the research model. The results demonstrate the dual effect of IOS use in improving operational supply chain performance, SCM capabilities, and the mediating role of SCM capabilities. We discuss contributions of the study to research and practice.     

制造业技术转型模式的实证研究:以浙江为例

 我国正处于经济增长方式转变关键时期,制造业转型升级是促进经济增长方式转变的重要推动力。以制造业强省浙江为例,根据计算出的不同行业技术能力与技术效率的差异,将制造业进行重新分类;构建了反映不同类别制造业特点的三种不同的技术转型模式,并提出了在转型过程中的政策启示。     

Supply chain information capabilities and performance outcomes: An empirical study of Korean steel suppliers

This article discusses how supply chain information capabilities are instrumental to achieve performance outcomes. We identify critical components of supply chain information capabilities in terms of inter-organizational information system capacity and inter-organizational relational competency. In view of the high degree of industry concentration in Korea, this article presents and tests a research model using a sample of Korean steel suppliers. Empirical tests are conducted using the structural equation modeling, PLS (partial least squares). The results of this study suggest that Korean manufacturing (e.g., automobile, shipbuilding, construction, and mobile industries) are heavily influenced by the competitiveness of the steel industry in terms of supply chain information capabilities and performance outcomes—supply chain-level (i.e., supply chain flexibility) and firm-level performance outcomes (i.e., customer responsiveness and cost reductions). Future research may extend the findings of this study in other country contexts to accomplish both customer responsiveness and cost reductions through supply chain information capabilities.     

动态能力的维度：基于中国企业的实证研究

 动态能力的定量分析一直是战略管理研究的难点议题。本研究依据相关文献,设计了一套动态能力测量量表,并以此检验了本研究所构建的动态能力五维分析模型。验证性因子分析结果表明：动态能力可以划分为动态的信息利用能力、资源获取能力、内部整合能力、外部协调与资源释放能力这五个维度。在对动态能力构成维度之间相互关系分析的基础上,本文探讨了动态能力培育的路径,以期对战略管理理论和实践有所借鉴。     

Mediation effect of business process and supply chain management capabilities on the impact of IT on firm performance: Evidence from Chinese firms

Motivated by the seeming presence of the productivity paradox in China, this research revisits the question of how information technology (IT) affects firm performance. Leveraging the process-based view of IT, we establish a theoretical framework for the mediation factors for the relationship between IT capabilities and performance. Based on a survey of 127 companies in China, we find that a firm's management capabilities to manage both its internal and external business processes fully mediate the impact of IT on firm performance. The two management capabilities in this study are business-process management capability and supply-chain management capability. Our results show that only the coherent integration of IT capability with firm’s ability to optimize business processes and to improve management of supply chains can enhance firm performance. Firms should avoid the fallacy that IT investments are solely responsible for better firm performance. Based on our findings, we discuss the implications for research and practice.     

Boundary conditions for traceability in food supply chains using blockchain technology

Traceability of ingredients in food supply chains has become paramount in a world in which markets become global, heterogeneous, and complex and in which consumers expect a high level of quality. The food supply chain consists of many organizations having different interests and are often reluctant to share traceability information with each other. Blockchain has been advocated for improving traceability by providing trust. Yet, practice proved to be more stubborn. The goal of this paper is to identify boundary conditions for sharing assurance information to improve traceability. Four cases in the food supply chain have been investigated using a template analysis of 16 interviews. Eighteen boundary conditions categorized in business, regulation, quality and traceability categories have been identified. Some boundary conditions were found in all supply chains, whereas others were found to be supply chain specific. Standardization of traceability processes and interfaces, having a joint platform and independent governance were found to be key boundary conditions before blockchain can be used. Our findings imply that supply chain systems have first to be modified and organizational measures need to be taken to fulfill the boundary conditions, before blockchain can be used successfully.     

Blockchain technology and gender equality: A systematic literature review

This study examines the literary corpus on the role and potential of blockchain technology in promoting gender equality through the lens of new technology-oriented corporate governance models. It investigates if and how corporate governance models can include blockchain technology to add value to gender equality and inclusion processes, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. A bibliometric analysis of a database—containing 127 articles, 4 United Nations reports, 3 European institutions’ reports, 1 International Labour Office report, 1 World Economic Forum report, and 4 industry reports useful to our analysis—was conducted from 1990 to 2021, to provide a map of the knowledge generated and circulated by the literature. This study offers insights into publication activities, essential topics, citation trends, and the status of collaborations between contributors to previous research and aggregated contributions to the area of blockchain technology studies. Furthermore, the study offers a retrospective analysis of the content published in the blockchain technology field. The findings indicate that field research has focussed primarily on blockchain’s economic and financial attributes but not on social potential. This study emphasises the implementation of blockchain technology to manage gender equality and inclusion processes by orienting corporate governance models towards social and sustainable values.     

A blockchain-based framework of cross-border e-commerce supply chain

Blockchain technology provides us a new tool to solve the product traceability problem in supply chain management. This research focuses on the cross-border e-commerce context, to propose a blockchain-based framework, and develop a set of corresponding techniques and methods for achieving traceable products and transactions in supply chain management. A general blockchain-based product traceability framework is introduced. This framework is based on a cross-border e-commerce supply chain context, incorporating a series of blockchain-based models, including multi-chain structure model, data management model and block structure model. Several core methods and algorithms are also developed, such as information anchoring method, key distribution method, information encryption algorithm and anti-counterfeiting method. The framework, models and methods form a complete and comprehensive solution, which are evaluated by applying to several typical problems and attack cases. The case analysis results show that the framework, models and methods can successfully deal with key recover problem, and protect against clone attack, counterfeit tag attack and counterfeit product attack. The effectiveness, extendibility, security, implementation and governance issues of applying these solutions are also discussed. This research contributes to the theoretical and practical literatures on blockchain technology, cross-border e-commerce and supply chain management research fields.     

Perception-based model for analyzing the impact of enterprise blockchain adoption on SCM in the Indian service industry

Permissioned blockchain utilized by any organization is commonly known as Enterprise Blockchain (EBC). EBC represents a popular investment option as enterprise system in the service industry. This paper aims at analyzing the perception of EBC among practitioners in service industry. As significant hype prevails about EBC usefulness in service industry, we examine if the perception of the usefulness of EBC among practitioners is borne out of knowledge of theoretical benefits of EBC, or is it borne out of the hype. A scale for measuring EBC benefits is developed. In order to test the hypothesized relationships, structural equation modelling (SEM) is used. We extend the concept of perceived usefulness from technology acceptance model for service supply chain management (SCM) and measure the perceived usefulness of EBC for six supply chain dimensions in the service industry. We examine if the service industry managers perceive EBC to be profitable based on the practical usefulness of EBC in various dimensions of service SCM. Moderating effects of 5 factors are analysed on relationships of our research model. This paper provides insights about the dimensions of service SCM, in which service industry practitioners perceive EBC to be useful and may contribute to increment in organization’s profitability.     

Blockchain and sustainable supply chain management in developing countries

Theoretical, empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests that there are more violations of sustainability principles in supply chains in developing countries than in developed countries. Recent research has demonstrated that blockchain can play an important role in promoting supply chain sustainability. In this paper we argue that blockchain’s characteristics are especially important for enforcing sustainability standards in developing countries. We analyze multiple case studies of blockchain projects implemented in supply chains in developing countries to assess product quality, environmental accounting and social impact measurement. We have developed seven propositions, which describe how blockchain can help address a number of challenges various stakeholders face in promoting sustainable supply chains in developing countries. The challenges that the propositions deal with include those associated with an unfavorable institutional environment, high costs, technological limitations, unequal power distribution among supply chain partners and porosity and opacity of value delivery networks.     

Blockchain as a disruptive technology for business: A systematic review

Blockchain is the latest ‘disruptive innovation’ that has caught scholars’ attention. It is the underlying technology for Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Stakeholders like developers, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts claim blockchain has the potential to reconfigure the contemporary economic, legal, political and cultural landscape. Skeptics claim the concept and its applications remain ambiguous and uncertain. Business scholars began publishing studies on the emergence and impact of blockchain, bitcoin, and related projects in 2014. In this study, we conduct a PRISMA guided systematic review of blockchain research in the business literature from 2014 to 2018. Our results show a rapid increase of studies over the five year period. The findings also convey key insights about the current state of scholarly investigation on blockchain, including its top benefits and challenges for business and society. We found that blockchain remains an early-stage domain of research in terms of theoretical grounding, methodological diversity, and empirically grounded work. We suggest research directions to improve our understanding of the state of blockchain and advance future research of this increasingly important and expansive area.     

The impact of IT on supply chain agility and firm performance: An empirical investigation

This study investigates the impact of information technology (IT) on supply chain agility measured by the ability to sense and respond to market changes, and the impact supply chain agility has on firm performance. Data were collected from supply chain executives at 193 U.S. manufacturing firms. The results suggest that IT improves the supply chain's ability to sense market changes by improving the adequacy, accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness of the information flows among members of the supply chain. IT also increases the supply chain's ability to respond to market changes by reducing the cost, and improving the quality and timeliness of developing and executing coordinated plans to respond to market changes throughout the supply chain. Importantly, the results indicate that enhanced supply chain agility has positive impacts on the firm's sales, market share, profitability, speed to market, and customer satisfaction.     

软技术对操作者学习效率影响的实证研究

软技术作为一种限制不同操作者之间,以及操作者与工具之间进行协作的规则体系,改变了操作者决策依据和动作的发生方式,最终影响了操作者的学习效率;本文证实了软技术对操作者学习效率的影响:在同样任务条件下,在软技术的规范下,操作效率的改进时间,要短于自学习的方式;也就是在软技术作用下,操作效率将先达到比较稳定的高点,得到了证实;操作者效率改进过程发生了变化,操作效率改进曲线有突变,软技术明显地改变了效率改进曲线;而无软技术作用时,操作者效率改进是平缓的,无突变的。     

智力资本与组织创新能力关系实证研究 ——以浙江中小技术企业为样本

 通过现场实证数据检验了浙江省中小高技术企业智力资本与组织创新能力之间的关系。研究表明：浙江技术企业在组织渐进创新能力方面有一定积累，而根本创新能力显著缺失；企业智力资本对组织创新能力具有显著正效应，但仅显著影响渐进创新能力，对根本创新能力没有显著效应。研究指出浙江技术企业应注重人力资本和创新资本的积累，以提升组织根本创新能力。     

A framework for analysing blockchain technology adoption: Integrating institutional,market and technical factors

The adoption of blockchain technologies require the consideration of a broad range of factors, over and above the predominantly technology focus of most current work. Whilst scholarly literature on blockchain technology is only beginning to emerge, majority are focused on the technicalities of the technology and tend to ignore the organizational complexities of adopting the technology. Drawing from a focused review of literature, this paper proposed a conceptual framework for adoption of blockchain technology capturing the complex relationships between institutional, market and technical factors. The framework highlights that varying outcomes are possible, and the change process is focal as this shapes the form blockchain applications take. Factors presented in the framework (institutional, market and technical) interact and mutually influence each other. The proposed framework can be used by organisations as a reference point for adopting blockchain applications and by scholars to expand, refine and evaluate research into blockchain technology.     

Analysing the impact of blockchain-technology for operations and supply chain management: An explanatory model drawn from multiple case studies

Blockchain technology is said to have a high disruptive potential and can do without an intermediary. Numerous contributions deal with its impact on and possibilities for logistics and supply chains. In this article, we use a multiple case analysis to develop an explanatory model for the interaction of actors in an operational supply chain involving blockchain technology. In addition, we show which intermediary tasks the blockchain could replace and what impact this would have on the industry logic. For this purpose, we analyze the status quo in practice based on a multiple case study with real use cases and find answers to our research questions. The findings of the paper include (1) insights into the impact of blockchain technology on the logistics industry, and (2) the implications and research questions related to blockchain technology and the impact of blockchain technology on business models.     

动态能力重构及其与竞争优势关系实证研究

动态能力是企业对运作能力进行管理的能力,即整合和更新运作能力以创造和持续竞争优势的高层次能力。本文从时间与空间动态演化的新视角演绎能力的动态性,即从能力广度、能力深度、能力演化速度三个维度重构动态能力的主导逻辑框架。然后,识别该框架的能力广度、能力深度、能力演化速度、能力交互度的"四度"属性,剖析了动态能力的"四度"属性与竞争优势、企业绩效及外部环境的关系及其作用机理。同时,运用结构方程模型方法实证检验结构关系,研究表明,能力广度、能力深度、能力演化速度、能力交互度通过对竞争优势的作用而影响企业绩效,环境动荡性在动态能力与企业绩效之间有调节作用。最后,论文提出培育动态能力的有效机制。