Purpose This paper aims to strive to close the current research gap pertaining to potential implications of the blockchain for supply chain management (SCM) by presenting a framework built on four established economic theories, namely, principal agent theory (PAT), transaction cost analysis (TCA), resource-based view (RBV) and network theory (NT). These theories can be used to derive research questions that are theory-based as well as relevant for the industry. This paper is intended to initiate and stimulate an academic discussion on the potential impact of the blockchain and introduces a framework for middle-range theorizing together with several research questions. Design/methodology/approach This paper builds on previous theories that are frequently used in SCM research and shows how they can be adapted to blockchain-related questions. Findings This paper introduces a framework for middle-range theorizing together with several research questions. Research limitations/implications The paper presents blockchain-related research questions derived from four frequently used theories, namely, PAT, TCA, RBV and (NT). These questions will guide future research pertaining to structural (PAT, TCA) and managerial issues (RBV, NT) and will foster middle-range theory development in SCM research. Practical implications Blockchain technology has the potential to significantly change SCM. Given the huge investments by industry, academic research is needed which investigates potential implications and supports companies. In this paper, various research questions are introduced that illustrate how the implications of blockchain on SCM can be investigated from different perspectives. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no academic papers are published in leading academic journals that investigate the relationship between SCM and blockchain from a theory-based perspective.
The purpose of this thesis was to provide information on whether the currency Bitcoin is viable and beneficial for businesses as a payment method or a business model. Interview, customer questionnaire and analysis of Bitcoin services, products and legislation were used to create a better understanding of viability of the currency.\n\nTheoretical part of the thesis explains how Bitcoin and its markets function. Later parts of the theoretical part lays out different services and products that can be built around Bitcoin. The objective of the theoretical part is to give better understanding of the general idea of Bitcoin for readers who are unfamiliar with the subject as it is a new concept.\n\nThe empirical research part of the thesis was conducted with both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods used were a qualitative theme interview and a quanti-tative customer questionnaire. The theme interview was conducted with a brick and mortar store, which had previously used Bitcoin as a payment method. The interview was conducted over the phone and a planned theme structure was used. The ques-tionnaire was conducted in two different Bitcoin related communities and it was used to find out their previous and planned Bitcoin payment method usage.\n\nTrough empirical research it turned out that Bitcoin retail payment method is not very popular and that it has many problems and disadvantages in its current form. Online payment methods appeared to be more popular among users.\n\nFrom the research it was concluded that Bitcoin online payment methods using mer-chant solution services are viable, when transaction fees and times are at their normal level. Online payment methods involve less investment and risk compared to retail Bitcoin payment methods, which don’t have much demand, require staff training and purchasing and maintaining of separate payment devices. Online payment methods appeared to have some advantages compared to traditional payment methods as well as normally they involve smaller transaction fees when using a Bitcoin merchant ser-vice as opposed to using credit or debit card company payment services. It should be noted that at the end of the research Bitcoin transaction feeds and transaction con-firmation times rose significantly, which temporarily made the business use of the currency mostly untenable.
In real life, there is a problem of capital fracture in some enterprises especially small and medium enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. In order to research how retailers choose the optimal financing mode, this paper analyzes the double channel and three- stage supply chain under capital constraint of retailers, uses multi-objective nonlinear programming method, constructs the delayed payment financing model and the loan financing model respectively and gives the optimal decentralized decisions of suppliers, manufacturers and retailers under the two modes. The research shows that under the coexistence of the delayed payment financing model and the loan financing model, when the delayed payment rate is equal to the lending rate, if the retailers choose the delayed payment model, then it can not only increase the profits but also improve the market competitiveness and expand the market. This provides certain theory and numerical reference basis for retailers to choose a financing model.
The innovation of supply chain financial services can alleviate the plight of SMEs financing difficulties. In the aspect of supply chain finance model, there is a credit guarantee financing model, which is different from the simple external financing and internal financing mode of supply chain. Based on this, this paper studies the decision-making of supply chain finance under the partial credit guarantee of core enterprises. First of all, the paper constructs a simple supply chain financing model, consisting of a bank, a core enterprise and a retailer. And then, considering the credit guarantee financing model, calculate the expected profit function. Stackelberg game model is used to give the optimal decision of each subject in decentralized system and the optimal decision in centralized system. Finally, in order to make a more specific and detailed study on the profit and decision-making based on the credit guarantee financing model, the important parameters of the model are analyzed. Through the calculation, it is proved that under the credit guarantee of the core enterprise, the retailer has the optimal ordering strategy, and the core enterprise has the best wholesale price. The influences of the partial credit guarantee coefficient and the retailer’s loan coefficient on the supply chain finance decision-making are also studied.
Peter Ittermann, Jonathan Niehaus, Hartmut Hirsch‐Kreinsen, Johannes Dregger · 5 authors
This paper is dealing with the ongoing debate of the digitization of german industry, the so-called „Industrie 4.0“, and its social consequences. The discussed new technologies like cyber-physical production systems, autonomous logistic systems and smart devices are about to get integrated in work places, that are embedded in existing organizational and social structures, thus making ‘complementary innovations’ and a coordinated design necessary. Our paper presents a human-centered design of industrial labor in a framework depicting the dilemma between what is techno-logically feasible and labor-politically desirable, under the constraint of an economically reasonable design of work and technology. The analytical approach is the “socio-technical system” which as-sumes that there are certain varieties of organizational design at the interfaces of its sub-systems ‘technology’, ‘human’ and ‘organization’. These considerations are transformed into a framework, called Social Manufacturing and Logistics, which brings together these perspectives and leads to a complementary holistic design of industrial labor under the conditions of a progressive digitization of manufacturing. Its characteristics are: hybrid interaction between human and machine, flexible integrated work and decentralized systems. Finally, we outline some organizational and social con-ditions to realize such a framework.
In this thesis, I explore how blockchain technology can improve pharmaceutical supply chain operations and discuss how the technology should be implemented. Furthermore, I study how the life science company Bayer's pharmaceutical division can utilize blockchain technology in its supply chain operations. I begin by defining the concepts of blockchain technology, smart contracts and pharmaceutical supply chain. Then I discuss the benefits and implementation in different sections: participating entities and information flow, contracts and payments, logistics, transparency and product security and blockchain infrastructure and governance. Both Bayer and the industry as a whole can benefit from blockchain technology. Blockchain enables for example efficient, safe and private transactions, product transparency and security and open information sharing without exposing trade secrets. For the first time a platform for all stakeholders can be developed that enables transacting information and value simultaneously.
The solid waste sector is a significant contributor to methane (CH 4 ) emissions with a global warming potential (GWP) of 21 times more than that of CO 2 bringing the need for preventive actions from this sector. In the recent years, composting projects both centralized and decentralized have proved to be addressing this issue. However, much of the decentralized composting projects failed due to their financial and other operational constraints that arise during the course of the implementation. On this regard, the current article reviews the potential of carbon finance as an opportunity for funding decentralized composting projects through demonstrating the application through emission calculation of four cities in Asia. On assessing the emissions, it also identifies the benefits associated with the emissions reduction from the composting projects which might not be available in the absence of the projects. The article also discusses the various carbon financing strategies available in the present market to identify the potential market for inclusion of decentralized composting projects. In the process, the article identifies the issues in the implementation of decentralized composting projects under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other carbon markets in general.