Driven by the pain points of the organic food supply chain, which has been plagued by counterfeiting and difficulties in pursuing accountability, this paper investigates a secondary organic food supply chain consisting of suppliers and retailers and establishes two supply chain models under the traditional model and in the blockchain traceability context. In order to effectively solve the problem of unrealized Pareto improvement in organic food supply chain after applying blockchain, a new hybrid contract based on benefitâsharing and costâsharing is designed to coordinate the supply chain and realize Pareto improvement, and this solution is gradually applied to organic food enterprises. Based on the fact that blockchain can improve trust in the supply chain and eliminate counterfeiting of organic food, the relationship between the rate of genuine products and market demand and the cost of blockchain is established, and then the analysis is developed using the Stackelberg game. We compare the traditional model with the model in the blockchain context and analyze the optimal profit of each supply chain entity, comparing the change in optimal profit before and after the blockchain implementation, and clarifying the cost threshold of the blockchain technology input application. We find that: (i) The adoption of blockchain can not only improve the authenticity of products and combat counterfeit and shoddy organic food, but at the same time, the improvement of organic level in the context of blockchain will also attract some consumers to buy organic food, which will increase the main body of the supply chain and the overall profit. (ii) Blockchainâadopted supply chains are consistently more profitable for all parties and overall than traditional supply chains. The main contribution of this study is that in the organic food supply chain under the application of blockchain technology model, by introducing revenueâsharing and costâsharing contracts, the profit between each member of the organic food supply chain is further improved than the traditional model, and also, all of them are optimized, which further improves the stability of the supply chain and brings the supply chain to a coordinated state. Finally, in this context, the obtained results show the effectiveness and realistic operational efficiency of the proposed approach for companies compared to traditional single revenueâsharing covenants. A combination of revenueâsharing and costâsharing covenants is the best approach to solve such problems. In conclusion, it should be noted that the analysis presented in this study will help decision makers choose the most appropriate option among the possible solutions according to their criteria. This proposed framework can also be extended in various cases where profits are out of balance in the organic food supply chain, such as safety and value gain.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been received extensive attentions. However, substantial CSR investment triggers some suppliersâ greenwashing behaviors which refer to hiding irresponsible operations and exaggerating CSR efforts, and raise concerns from consumers with CSR awareness. In this paper, we explore the impact of blockchain implementation on CSR efforts along a supply chain consisting of one supplier and one retailer under the supplier Stackelberg and retailer Stackelberg models. We consider a group of consumers with CSR awareness who have concerns about the supplier's greenwashing behavior. The adoption of blockchain helps the supply chain members foster consumersâ trust about CSR involvement, by linking CSR related information nodes to blockchain. We identify the conditions where blockchain implementation makes the supplier be more responsible. The supplier has stronger incentives to adopt blockchain when undertaking sufficiently high penalty after violation detection. Under the situation, the supplier makes more CSR efforts which is efficient in the presence of blockchain to eliminate consumersâ concerns about greenwashing. For the retailer, blockchain implementation is beneficial when the detection is efficient enough without blockchain and the penalty cost is not significantly high.
Abstract In this competitive and technology driven world, businesses are striving to gain benefits of environmental sustainability and energy conservation by implementing the latest technologies in their supply chains. A promising way of evaluating the environmental performance of a product or a process is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modelling, but the reliability of LCA results is mostly compromised due to the lack of real data from upstream and downstream supply chains. Our research aim is to drive LCA modelling through Blockchain Technology (BCT) and internet-of-things which have the capability to record reliable, transparent, and secure data from across the supply chain. The modified LCA model will provide various industries with the quantified benefits of BCT in terms of industrial emissions reduction. This conference paper reflects the 1st stage of research where we carried out a detailed literature review on potential use of blockchain technology in green supply chain management and based on the findings, we developed an integrative framework architecture for the supply chain of a supermarket product. In the next phase, the integration of BCT and LCA will be studied in food supply chains using a supermarket case study of Walmart-IBM developed blockchain consortium.
In this paper, 20 enablers of blockchain adoption in Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) are identified and analyzed using DEMATEL methodology. Our analysis uncovers how the identified enablers interact with each other and impact blockchain adoption in SSCM. Results show the primary importance of management commitment and support for adopting and implementing blockchain technology in SSCM. The results also point out the need for the technology to evolve, so that clearer governance rules for blockchains are adopted, and the interoperability with other IT systems is enhanced. Insights from our study are provided to help more informed decisions at the level of the adopting firms, the industry as a whole, as well as at the level of governments and regulations authorities.
The purpose of this review is to investigate the landscape of scientific literature in analyzing the blockchain technology capabilities for enhancing supply chain resilience in times of increased risk and uncertainty. This article adopts a systematic literature analysis to extract and analyze the related papers. It is found that the blockchain technology can be considered as enabling technology for supply chain risk management. It helps to manage different types of risks in different industries, leading to resilience and robustness of a supply chain. This review also suggested that new research methodology, wider industrial adoption and combined implementation of blockchain and other advanced technologies can be investigated in the future to reduce supply chain risk more efficiently and effectively.
Blockchain research in the supply chain management field is growing. The complexities of blockchain as a technology and its potential implications for business and digital ecosystems have expanded the spectrum of research areas that need to be investigated to further develop this emerging field. The increasing number of applications of the technology in supply chain practice calls for theory-driven research to develop better understanding of blockchain and its implications for the supply chain. However, theory-based research on blockchain adoption, deployment and use is scarce, limiting theory development in the field. There is a lack of guidance on the range of theories that can be used to undertake theory-driven research that investigates different facets of blockchain adoption, deployment and use. We address this need in this research. We draw on the existing literature to develop a comprehensive list of factors and barriers for blockchain applications in the supply chain. We present a framework for theory-driven research capturing four distinct facets of supply chain research studies - intra-organizational, inter-organizational, technical, and external environment. Considering the multidisciplinary nature of blockchain research, we propose different theoretical perspectives that can be used alone or in combination to advance theory development in each area as the pace of blockchain adoption in the supply chain increases.
Ămit Cali, Muhammet Deveci, Shammya Shananda Saha, Ugur Halden ¡ 5 authors
The modern power systems are evolving in parallel to the development of other technological trends such as decarbonization and digitalization. While the penetration of renewable energy resources is increasing within the national and regional energy mix, emerging digitalization technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain technology are shaping modern power systems. Especially blockchain technology has a very high potential to disrupt the current and future energy sector landscape by enabling various use cases in this domain. This paper aims to prioritize different energy use cases where blockchain technology can actively be utilized to create additional value. This study proposes a Type-2 Neutrosophic Number (T2NN) based Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) to evaluate and rank a set of existing use cases of an energy blockchain system. Testing and validation of the model is done through a comparison against one alternative T2NN based Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model and an existing approach from literature. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed, revealing that changing criteria weightings do not affect the ranking order of the use cases of the energy blockchain system. Prioritizing the use cases can assist the companies, standardization bodies, and related government authorities to make better decisions for their operations, such as ranking the investment decisions.
Anne-Marthe Rekdal Remme, Stine-Mari Stange, Asle Fagerstrøm, Lester Allan Lasrado
This study explores the relative impact of blockchain-enabled sustainability labeling on consumers purchasing behavior when shopping for fashion products. A conjoint experiment was conducted where participants (n=84) assigned scores to stimuli cards according to preference in a specific shopping scenario. Results showed that âblockchain trademarkedâ did not have much impact relative to âlow priceâ and âhigh product ratingâ. Further analysis showed that âblockchain trademarkedâ had a relatively stronger impact towards those participants (n=22) who indicated that living a sustainable lifestyle is important. Our findings show that there is a need for educating consumers about blockchain and the associated benefits for improving future transparency in sustainability in the fashion industry. Overall, these findings provide valuable grounds for further research on how blockchain-enabled sustainability labeling can create value for both consumers and companies within the fashion industry.
Open access
Environmental Sustainability in Business
Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
Inspired by the practice of platform retailers cooperates with blockchain technology service providers to improve the recycling rate of waste products and solve the three bottleneck problems of recycling, this paper examines how the platform should optimize the combination of âblockchain & sales formatâ to improve the economic, social and environmental (ESS) performance of the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC). Through analytical models, three major effects of blockchain are revealed, namely brand premium effect, forward and backward attraction effect, and optimal combined effect. Besides, intuition suggests that the retail price decreases with increasing of consumer sensitivity to reference price effects, this result occurs in cases where reference price effects dominate demand. When the brand effect dominates demand, the counterintuitive result emerges that firms can raise the retail price with increased sensitivity. The implementation of blockchain will amplify the changes through brand premium effect in two corresponding cases. Another interesting finding is that only when the commission rate is extremely low/relatively high, the CLSC member can reach a stable cooperation relationship with the platform selling/agency selling. At the same time, the optimal âblockchain & sales formatâ of the platform that can achieve the triple benefits of EES in the CLSC is clarified. Furthermore, combined with the platform sales cases of different categories of products, this paper derives the âblockchain & sales formatâ combination strategy of platform enterprises for the universality of different attribute products.
Blockchain technology can play a crucial role to facilitate the transition from a linear to a circular economy. This article evaluates those enablers that influence technology adoption in the circular economy. A comprehensive literature review and feedback from experts revealed nineteen critical enablers. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology was used to determine the cause-and-effect relationships between them. The findings identified five critical causal enablers: transparency, security, smart contracts, traceability, and enhanced collaboration. Effect enablers were identified as immutability, decentralization, privacy, automation, information sharing, and enhanced regulation.
Weifeng Chen, David Botchie, Ashley Braganza, Hongdan Han
Abstract This study advances theoretical insights into blockchain adoption in the context of global value chains from a transaction cost theory perspective. The research has adopted an exploratory qualitative approach using the Netnography method to scrutinize the case of TradeLensâa thriving blockchainâenabled ecosystem that Maersk and IBM jointly developed. This study applies textual and audiovisual data from company websites and social media. Our findings indicate blockchain technology's salient and strategic relevance in streamlining business processes, improving efficiency, enhancing visibility, transparency, and traceability for value creation in the global value chains. This investigation supports the notion that blockchain, as a disruptor, will transform global trade with the digital tools to share realâtime information and collaborate security to reduce search and information cost, policing and enforcement cost in global economic transactions and administrative friction in trade. In contrast, the bargaining cost will increase if the information for the transaction is hard to verify where human actor intervention will be required, implying relatively higher designing costs in codifying the agreements in smart contracts.
Nowadays, Information Technology (IT) is changing the way traditional enterprise management concepts work. One of the most dominant IT achievements is the Blockchain Technology. This technology enables the distributed collaboration of stakeholders for their interactions while fulfilling the security and consensus rules among them. This paper has focused on the application of Blockchain technology to enhance one of traditional inventory management models. The Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) has been considered one of the most efficient mechanisms for vendor inventory planning by the suppliers. While VMI has brought competitive advantages for many industries, however its centralized mechanism limits the collaboration of a pool of suppliers and vendors simultaneously. This paper has studied the recent research for VMI application in industries and also has investigated the applications of Blockchain technology for decentralized collaboration of stakeholders. Focusing on sustainability issue for total supply chain consisting suppliers and vendors, it has proposed a Blockchain based VMI conceptual model. The different capabilities of this model for enabling the collaboration of stakeholders while maintaining the competitive advantages and sustainability issues have been discussed.
Ilhaam A. Omar, Raja Jayaraman, Mazin Debe, Haya R. Hasan ¡ 6 authors
Information sharing is essential for coordination and stakeholder integration and is crucial to achieving sustainable supply chain operations. Furthermore, improved information sharing assists retailers by reducing the time spent looking for alternative suppliers to meet the unexpected demand surge during pandemics. Recent advances in networking and distributed ledger technologies have enabled secure, improved information communication and broader connectivity. However, due to system interoperability, information quality, confidentiality, and trust, information cannot be exchanged seamlessly, resulting in the inefficiency of managing supply chain operations. In this paper, we propose a blockchain-based inventory sharing approach based on smart contracts using a private Ethereum network to link suppliers and retailers. Our approach combines blockchain technology with decentralized storage to increase transparency, trust, and security of supply chain transactions. We present a generalized mechanism for secure information sharing that includes comprehensive algorithms to capture supply chain stakeholder interactions that enhance trust among participating entities. The smart contract was developed and validated using the Remix IDE, and the code is made publicly available on Github. We analyze the solution for various security vulnerabilities and provide a detailed cost analysis for various stakeholder transactions in the supply chain. Our solution demonstrates that a blockchain-based approach reduces inefficiencies, is economical, commercially viable, and provides improved information connectivity among supply chain stakeholders in a trusted and secure way.
The key challenges of the building, engineering, construction, operations, and mining (BECOM) industries are the lack of trust, inefficiencies, and the fragmentation of the information value chain into vulnerable data silos throughout the lifecycle of projects. This paper aims to develop a novel conceptual model for the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) for digital twin(s) (DT) in the BECOM industry 4.0 to improve trust, cyber security, efficiencies, information management, information sharing, and sustainability. A PESTELS approach is used to review the literature and identify the key challenges affecting BCT adoption for the BECOM industry 4.0. A review of the technical literature on BCT combined with the findings from PESTELS analysis permitted researchers to identify the key technological factors affecting BCT adoption in the industry. This allowed offering a technological frameworkânamely, the decentralized digital twin cycle (DDTC)âthat leverages BCT to address the key technological factors and to ultimately enhance trust, security, decentralization, efficiency, traceability, and transparency of information throughout projectsâ lifecycles. The study also identifies the gaps in the integration of BCT with key technologies of industry 4.0, including the internet of things (IoT), building information modeling (BIM), and DT. The framework offered addresses key technological factors and narrows key gaps around network governance, scalability, decentralization, interoperability, energy efficiency, computational requirements, and BCT integration with IoT, BIM, and DT throughout projectsâ lifecycles. The model also considers the regulatory aspect and the environmental aspect, and the circular economy (CE). The theoretical framework provides key technological building blocks for industry practitioners to develop the DDTC concept further and implement it through experimental works. Finally, the paper provides an industry-specific analysis and technological approach facilitating BCT adoption through DT to address the key challenges and improve sustainability for the BECOM industry 4.0.
Purpose This study aims to present consolidated information on blockchain, which seeks to better clarify the concept of blockchain and the associated implications and characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The methodological procedure used was Grounded Theory, based on a Systematic Bibliographic Review on the adoption of blockchain in supply chain management. To add experts' opinion on the subject to the analyzed panorama, data from a survey were also considered in the analysis. Findings The Grounded Theory enabled the development of consolidated information on blockchain related knowledge, identifying benefits, fragilities and contributions of the concept for supply chain management. Originality/value An epistemological gap has been identified between the use of blockchain in supply chain management and a theoretical basis to support the application. The originality of this study lies in providing a proposition of this theoretical basis.
Serkan KarakaĹ, A. Zafer Acar, Berk Kßçßkaltan
The supply chain is an important source of knowledge that enables potential emerging technologies and, in this ecosystem, logistics are regarded as an intermediary for disseminating innovative solutions in a coordinated manner. As an emerging solution in the supply chain area, blockchain has recently been discussed as a disruptive technology and has received growing attention from academics and practitioners. Despite this interest, insufficient knowledge on the potential benefits and risks of blockchain technology causes vagueness for its successful implementation. Therefore, since effective management of logistics and supply chain operations through advanced solutions is of utmost importance, adopting an innovative approach rather than providing anectodal evidences or narrative expressions plays a critical role in blockchain adoption. Accordingly, this research aims to an in-depth analysis of the blockchain in logistics and supply chain by investigating enablers, barriers, and risks of this adoption. To this end, through employing both the Methodi Ordinatio and the narrative network analyses, the future direction of blockchain adoption is presented in light of the presented current state of knowledge. Consequently, the obtained findings offer academic and practical insights into the ambiguous, insufficiently explained, and conflicted areas in the relationship between blockchain technologies and logistics and supply chain contexts.
Michael Paul Kramer, Linda Bitsch, Jon Henrich Hanf
Coffee is the second most important commodity in terms of global trade value, with its global market value exceeding $460 billion in 2020. Its supply networks, which encompass multiple stakeholders, are complex and nontransparent. Blockchain is a trust technology, and some coffee firms have embraced this technology to provide trust attributes to consumers while making their supply chain more transparent. For businesses to gain the expected productivity advantages, a technology must be adopted and used. As theoretical and empirical research on blockchain technology adoption is scarce, this article attempts to identify behavioral intentions of stakeholders in the supply network toward its adoption. Based on exploratory interviews, this article develops a blockchain technology adoption model based on factors relevant to individualsâ use behavior. The results provide evidence that a normative stakeholder management approach positively impacts use behavior. Managers can use the model to benchmark and improve their corporate social responsibility strategy to obtain better returns on blockchain investments. This study closes a research gap as, to the best of the authorsâ knowledge, no research has been conducted so far on the impact of an instrumental stakeholder management approach on blockchain technology adoption behavior. Understanding how stakeholder management can compensate for the lack of consensus mechanisms in private and consortium blockchains, as well as understanding the factors influencing behavioral intentions toward the use of a technology, can provide for managerial guidance toward the development of an effective stakeholder management strategy, which eventually can result in a competitive advantage.
A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. This research study analyzes the challenges faced by the automotive industry in its supply chain operations. Further, the traceability issues and waiting time at different nodes of the supply chain are considered to be priority issues that affect the overall supply chain efficiency in the automotive supply chain. After studying the existing blockchain architectures and their implementation methodology, this study proposes a new blockchain-based architecture to improve traceability and reduce waiting time for the automotive supply chain. A hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture is developed to track the ownership transfers in inbound and outbound logistics. The simulation results of the proposed hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture show that there is an improvement in the traceability of items at different nodes of the supply chain that enhances the Inventory Quality Ratio (IQR) and the mean waiting time is reduced at the factory, wholesaler, and retailer, which thereby improves the overall supply chain efficiency. The blockchain embedded supply chain is more capable to eliminate the risks and uncertainties associated with the automotive supply chain. The benefits of adopting blockchain technology in the automotive supply chain are also described. The developed blockchain-based framework is capable to get more visibility into goods movement and inventory status in automotive supply chains.
Cloud manufacturing is a new globalized manufacturing framework which has improved the performance of manufacturing systems. The service-oriented architecture as the main idea behind this framework means that all resources and capabilities are considered as services. The agents interact by way of service exchanging, which has been a part of service composition research topics. Service allocations to demanders in a cloud manufacturing system have a dynamic behavior. However, the current research studies on cloud-based service composition are mainly based on centralized global optimization models. Therefore, a distributed deployment and real-time synchronization platform, which enables the globalized collaboration in service composition, is required. This paper proposes a method of using blockchain to solve these issues. Each service composition is considered as a transaction in the blockchain concept. A block includes a set of service compositions and its validity is confirmed by a predefined consensus mechanism. In the suggested platform, the mining role in blockchain is interpreted as an endeavor for proposing the proper service composition in the manufacturing paradigm. The proposed platform has interesting capabilities as it can increase the response time using the blockchain technology and improve the overall optimality of supply-demand matching in cloud manufacturing. The efficiency of the proposed model was evaluated by investigating a service allocation problem in a cloud manufacturing system in four large scale problems. Each problem is examined in four centralized modes, two, three and four solvers in blockchain-based model. The simulation results indicate the high quality of the proposed solution. The proposed solution will lead to at least 15.14% and a maximum of 34.8 percent reduction in costs and 20 to 68.4 percent at the solving time of the problem. It is also observed that with increasing the number of solvers (especially in problems with larger dimensions) the solution speed increases sharply (more than 68% improvement in some problems), which indicates the positive effect of distribution on reducing the problem-solving time.
Horst Treiblmaier, Abderahman Rejeb, Remko van Hoek, Mary C. Lacity
Background: Companies partaking in modern supply chains face numerous intra-and interorganizational barriers when it comes to the adoption of blockchain technology. Empirical research is missing that explores how exactly these barriers can be overcome. In this paper we first explore barriers that organizations need to overcome to successfully deploy blockchain technology. In a second step, we investigate the agrifood industry and highlight differences in coping strategies between incumbents and start-ups. Methods: We conducted a quantitative survey with 190 supply chain experts to identify barriers and an in-depth qualitative study that included 10 expert interviews to better understand the current situation in agrifood organizations. Results: The findings from the quantitative study show that the most relevant organizational barrier to blockchain adoption is the widespread lack of understanding of the technology and its potential benefits. In the qualitative study we illustrate how various intra-and interorganizational barriers can be overcome and how the resources and capabilities differ between incumbents and start-ups. Conclusions: Our results provide academics with a better understanding of the relevant barriers and bridges of blockchain adoption. Practitioners benefit from learning about the resources and capabilities they need to deploy in order to benefit from blockchain technology.
Kirti Nayal, Rakesh D. Raut, Balkrishna E. Narkhede, Pragati Priyadarshinee ¡ 6 authors
Blockchain can solve the problems that the agriculture supply chain (ASC) is facing to achieve sustainable growth. In a nation like India, blockchain application in the supply chain is still new; therefore, supply chain players need a better understanding and awareness of blockchain through valuable insights. This article aims to study the mediating role of blockchain technology adoption (BLCT) for sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). This study investigates the influence of numerous factors such as green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risk, performance expectancy, top management support, cost, internal and external environmental conditions, regulatory support, and innovation capability on BLCT adoption. A sample of 316 respondents from Indian ASC industries was collected, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. This study's outcomes show that green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risks, internal and external conditions, regulatory support, innovation capability, and cost positively influence BLCT adoption. Moreover, BLCT positively influences sustainable agriculture supply chain performance. This article is valuable for policymakers, managers, service providers, researchers, and academicians to understand the role of factors in influencing BLCT and BLCT's role in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP).
Blockchain technology has been forwarded as an innovation to address pressing sustainability challenges in global food supply chains. However, limited studies have critically examined the technology's role in advancing sustainability. Drawing on the literature on sustainability-oriented innovation and innovation resistance theory, we explore the potential of blockchain technology to contribute to sustainable transformations within food supply chains. We reflect on 18 expert interviews with various actors across global food supply chains to evaluate the opportunities for, and resistance to, Blockchain technology as a driver of sustainability. The findings reveal that Blockchain is used within food supply chains as both a tool for sustainability as well as a broader philosophical mindset for addressing sustainability challenges. We reveal the opportunities for Blockchain technology as a sustainability-oriented innovation that can ensure fairer supply chains, enhance food traceability, and drive environmental sustainability. We also unpack the resistance to Blockchain that hinder its potential as a sustainability-oriented innovation which include functional and psychological barriers alongside cooperative barriers and protection of the status quo. Our study contributes to the broader literature on sustainability-oriented innovation and innovation resistance theory.
New Zealandâs rising demand for new and affordable homes is driving innovative and effective methods for project delivery. Prefabrication or off-site construction is considered an innovative approach to project delivery that eliminates the limitations of traditional construction methods. However, the prefabrication industry struggles with several challenges, including poor coordination and low supply chain integration amongst its partner organisations. There has been previous literature on improving the prefabrication supply chain integration, but few studies about the role of technology in this sector. Therefore, this article provides intuitions into the applicability and benefits of advanced technologies, namely blockchain, for improving supply chain integration in the context of prefabrication in New Zealand. A questionnaire survey was used to identify the channels used for information exchange between clients and contractors. Moreover, the questionnaire ascertained the positive effects of blockchain on enhancing supply chain integration between the two partners. Blockchain has proven to be a secure information integration instrument that can improve the integration of the prefabrication supply chain by fostering collaboration between organisations.