Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine if blockchain-supported carbon offset information provision and shipping options with different cost and environmental footprint implications impact consumer perceptions toward retailers and logistics service providers. Blockchain and carbon neutrality, each can be expensive to adopt and complex to manage, thus getting the âtruthâ on decarbonization may require additional costs for consumers. Design/methodology/approach Experimental modeling is used to address these critical and emergent issues that influence practices across a set of supply chain actors. Three hypotheses relating to the relationship between blockchain-supported carbon offset information and consumer perceptions and intentions associated with the product and supply chain actors are investigated. Findings The results show that consumer confidence increases when supply chain carbon offset information has greater reliability, transparency and traceability as supported by blockchain technology. The authors also find that consumers who are provided visibility into various shipping options and the product's journey carbon emissions and offset â from a blockchain-supported system â they are more willing to pay a premium for both the product and shipping options. Blockchain-supported decarbonization information disclosure in the supply chain can lead to organizational legitimacy and financial gains in return. Originality/value Understanding consumer action and sustainable consumption is critical for organizations seeking carbon neutrality. Currently, the literature on this understanding from a consumer information provision is not well understood, especially with respect to blockchain-supported information transparency, visibility and reliability. Much of the blockchain literature focuses on the upstream. This study focuses more on consumer-level and downstream supply chain blockchain implications for organizations. The study provides a practical roadmap for considering levels of blockchain information activity and consumer interaction.
The construction sector is now experiencing a significant transformation, primarily motivated by the need to enhance operational efficiency and promote sustainable practices. The emergence of blockchain technology has been seen as a disruptive factor that has the potential to fundamentally transform the field of supply chain management within the construction industry. Nevertheless, the extent to which this technology has revolutionized the sector has yet to be extensively investigated. The primary objective of this study is to address the existing research void by examining the impact of blockchain technology on enhancing the capabilities of building supply chains. This study employs a thorough examination of empirical case studies and a survey conducted among 136 industry professionals to explore the many functions of blockchain technology in augmenting efficiency, transparency, and traceability within building supply chains. The significant constructs were found having impact on blockchain implementation for construction supply chains are, Transparency and Traceability (β = 0.202, Ď = 0.000, t = 42.560), Smart Contracts for Automation (β = 0.232, Ď = 0.000, t = 62.596), Quality Assurance and Compliance (β = 0.230, Ď = 0.000, t = 64.704), Dispute Resolution and Accountability (β = 0.235, Ď = 0.000, t = 79.533), Supplier Management and Verification (β = 0.251, Ď = 0.000, t = 49.404).
Abstract This study targets a fresh produce supply chain that includes a retailer owning private demand information, a supplier who may adopt blockchain, and a 3PL (Third Party Logistics) engaging in freshness keeping. By developing a multiâstage game model, we study the blockchain adoption strategy and the informationâsharing strategy considering information transmission between the 3PL and the supplier and analyze the interaction of these strategies. We find that under the case of moderate blockchain cost, the retailer could encourage the supplier to adopt blockchain by sharing information strategically. In that case, the retailer would actively share with the supplier and the 3PL for fresh produce with low freshness sensitivity and serious consumer distrust. Otherwise, due to the dominant impact of information transmission, the retailer has to keep private information if consumers are less concerned about freshness, while it has to share information if consumers are more concerned about freshness.
This study examines the intricate relationships among Blockchain Technology utilization, Supply Chain Efficiency, Export Performance, and the Financial Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The research aims to elucidate the impact of technology adoption on various operational and financial aspects within the SME context. Employing a quantitative research design, data was collected from a diverse sample of SMEs across industries. The relationships were analyzed using statistical techniques, and the hypotheses were tested to uncover the implications of Blockchain Technology integration on SMEs' performance dimensions. The findings reveal that the adoption of Blockchain Technology significantly enhances Supply Chain Efficiency, underscoring its potential for optimizing operational workflows. However, the direct impact of technology on SME Financial Performance is not established, suggesting the importance of a holistic approach to financial growth. Moreover, the positive association between Blockchain Technology and Export Performance highlights the pivotal role of technology in fostering international trade success. Theoretical implications underscore the intricate interplay between technology adoption, operational efficiencies, and financial outcomes in SMEs. Managerially, the study advocates for SMEs to strategically integrate technology within their supply chain management practices to achieve enhanced efficiency and market competitiveness. Limitations include the potential for contextual variations and measurement biases. Future research can delve deeper into the moderating factors that influence the relationship between technology and financial performance in SMEs. The novelty of this study lies in its comprehensive examination of the interrelationships between these factors within the SME context.
Fossil fuel pollution has contributed to dramatic changes in the Earthâs climate, and this trend will continue as fossil fuels are burned at an ever-increasing rate. Many countries around the world are currently making efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the methods is the Tradable White Certificate (TWC) mechanism. The mechanism allows organizations to reduce their energy consumption to generate energy savings certificates, and those that achieve greater energy savings can sell their certificates to those that fall short. However, there are some challenges to implementing this mechanism, such as the centralized and costly verification and control of energy savings. Moreover, the verification process is not transparent, which could lead to fraud or manipulation of the system. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a blockchain-based TWC mechanism to automatically create, verify, and audit the TWC certificates. In addition, we propose a smart-contract-based TWC trading mechanism that enables traders to trade their TWCs without exposing their private information in an untrusted environment. Evaluations show that the proposed TWC framework is scalable for 1000 TWC traders simultaneously, and optimization problem can be solved in less than 120ms. Moreover, it has been shown that Polygon Matic incurs least gas cost compared to other blockchain-based solutions.
Muhammad Farrukh Shahzad, Shuo Xu, Rimsha Baheer, Waleed Ahmad
This research study aims to reveal the role of supply chain parameters approved by blockchain technology toward firm performance through trust. This study has also examined the moderating role of government support between trust and firm performance. The underlying theories reinforce the usefulness and flexibility of a supply chain in regulating daily fluctuations and uncertainties in supply and demand. Blockchain technology adoption with supply chain tactics provides a more suitable environment for better firm performance. Governments address legal and security concerns related to blockchain technology and provide clear guidelines and standards for its use in supply chains, which build trust among firms and stakeholders. A conceptual model has been developed with the assistance of past empirical research studies and associated theories. This research study has examined the following relationships from a sample of 465 employees from textile industrial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The current research study assesses these parameters using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The analysis showed that supply chain parameters (alignment, agility, adaptability) approved by blockchain technology positively correlate with firm performance. Trust positively mediated the relationship between supply chain parameters approved by blockchain technology and firm performance. Furthermore, government support positively moderated the relationship between trust and firm performance. The study would provide directions for further research. These findings will give the global supply chain industry valuable insights into blockchain technology for firm performance. In theory, this research study would contribute to the scientific literature by answering how trust and government support affect the overall firm performance.
Purpose The aim of this article states that in each stage of the industrial revolution, only a few initiatives have been real game changers. In Industry 3.0, â Internet of Information â has transformed the business landscape via connectivity and communications. Enterprises could come together to spur innovation in a cooperative or competitive manner. In Industry 4.0, the â Internet of Value â has shown considerable benefits; and, blockchain technology is expected to touch all layers of a business ecosystem, and the construction industry is not an exception. Design/methodology/approach This study aims to answer the â How do enterprise blockchain solutions contribute to the vibrancy of the construction ecosystem from social, economic, and environmental aspects? â Following a comprehensive literature review, the Grey Ordinal Priority Approach (OPA-G) is employed in multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA). OPA-G can select functionally rich enterprise blockchain solutions that meet the needs of the future construction industry, while there is uncertainty in the input data. Findings The results from the case study show that organization under observation welcomes an enterprise blockchain solution that delivers services related to ârenewable energy certificatesâ in the context of âsmart cities and built environmentâ. Employing high-ranked blockchain solutions brings vibracy and sustainability to construction ecosystem in terms of âC 6 . decentralized finance and investment,â âC 3 . multi-party and cross-industry collaboration,â and âC 8 . data-driven value creationâ. Originality/value At the micro level, blockchain solutions automate processes, streamline operations, and build new capacities on a new business model. At the macro level, blockchain creates a vibrant ecosystem based on transparency, decentralization, consensus-based democracy, interoperability, etc. Indeed, the capability of blockchain solutions at an enterprise scale (enterprise blockchain solutions) can shape a new construction ecosystem. The practical implications of current research are preparing executives for a fundamentally different next normal in construction.
Purpose The construction industry faces public criticism for issues like wastefulness, inefficiency, slim profits, scheduling setbacks, budget overruns, quality concerns, trust deficits, transparency, coordination, communication and fraud. This paper aims to assess the nexus between barriers and drivers for adopting blockchain in construction and its impact on construction lifecycle. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used to collect data using a well-structured questionnaire survey. The survey, which used snowball sampling, included 155 Nigerian construction experts that included architects, builders, quantity surveyors and engineers in the built environment. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which allowed for a thorough evaluation of the proposed relationships as well as industry-specific insights. Findings The study's findings validate the conceptual framework established. The results indicate that implementing blockchain across all stages of construction projects has the potential to improve the construction process by 88.2% through its drivers. However, there were no significant relationships found between the barriers to adopting blockchain and the potential application areas in the construction lifecycle. Research limitations/implications This research was carried out in the South-western which is one of the six geo-political zones/regions in Nigeria, using a cross-sectional survey method. The study did not investigate the interdependence of the identified categories of drivers and barriers, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics and interactions influencing blockchain adoption in construction. The study is expected to stimulate further exploration and generate new insights on how blockchain technology (BT) can influence various stages of the construction lifecycle. Practical implications The findings will be immensely beneficial to both professionals and practitioners in the Nigerian construction industry in learning about the potential of BT application in improving the construction lifecycle. Originality/value This paper developed and assessed a conceptual framework by investigating the interrelationships between the constructs. The findings have important implications for the construction industry, as they offer opportunities to improve the construction process and overall lifecycle. The findings are useful for researchers interested in the potential impact of BT on the construction lifecycle and its wider implications.
Garud Iyengar, Fahad Saleh, Jay Sethuraman, Wenjun Wang
We examine a supply chain with a single risk-averse manufacturer who purchases from suppliers and sells to consumers. Within this context, we focus on two channels that drive blockchain adoption by the manufacturer: manufacturer risk aversion and consumer information asymmetry. Regarding the first channel, blockchain enables efficient tracing of defective products so that the manufacturer can selectively recall defective products rather than conducting a full recall. This tracing ability reduces the risk involved in the manufacturer purchasing from multiple suppliers and thereby leads the manufacturer to endogenously diversify across suppliers when blockchain is adopted. The diversification enhances the manufacturerâs welfare due to the manufacturerâs risk aversion and thus drives the manufacturer to adopt blockchain. With regard to the second channel, blockchain stores details from the manufacturing process and reveals them to consumers, thereby ameliorating consumer information asymmetry. This reduction in information asymmetry improves consumer decision making that, in isolation, would enhance consumer welfare. However, the manufacturer responds by increasing the consumer price, thereby transferring potential consumer welfare gains to the manufacturer, and consequently serving as a second channel to drive blockchain adoption by the manufacturer. This paper was accepted by Lin William Cong, finance.
Assia Chadly, Haya R. Hasan, Karim Moawad, Khaled Salah ¡ 6 authors
The supply chain of rare earth metals plays a crucial role in producing thin-film solar photovoltaics (PVs), which are vital for renewable energy generation. However, this supply chain is often characterized by opacity, inefficiencies, and security concerns especially since those rare earth metals come from mainly one supplier, China. Also, the solar PVsâ certificates are purely technical and fail to consider the ethical sourcing and sustainable supply chain management conditions of mining. The working conditions of the miners are often neglected and are least prioritized. In this paper, a blockchain-based solution was proposed to leverage the intrinsic decentralized blockchain features including traceability, transparency, non-repudiation, and accountability in the supply chain of thin-film solar PVs, to safeguard not only the technical conditions of the mined products but also the ethical conditions of the workers during mining. Ethical mines must uphold good safety standards, pay their workers a fair wage, adhere to working hours, and legal working age. The solution paves the way to ethical mining where the certification of the PVs is not granted unless both technical and ethical conditions are met. The supply chain of thin-film PVs that goes from mining the rare earth metals in China, where more than 70% of the rare earth metals used are extracted from, to the disposal at the end-of-life (EOL) of the PVs was presented. Smart contracts to enable the on-chain traceability of the registration, manufacturing, assessment, delivery, and disposal of PVs were developed. The solution exploits the tamper-proof logs of the distributed ledger to ensure accountability and record transactions as part of the data provenance. The proposed solution includes a system design with sequence diagrams, smart contracts with algorithms, and a testing and analysis section.
Construction industry nowadays is facing several key issues as the likes of cost and time overruns and unstable business environment which lead to suppressed profitability, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction. Studies have suggested, an improved Supply Chain Management (SCM) towards Sustainable Supply Chain (SSCM) could help in this regard, however there are barriers observed to its implementation in the construction industry. Building Information Modelling (BIM) too is considered a positive disrupter in the construction industry due to the potential in its applications, and one of such potential is improving the SCM. However, similar to SCM, adoption of BIM faces several barriers. Preliminary review suggests that some of its barriers could be resolved by integrating with Blockchain, another disruptor stemming from Industry 4.0. Hence, this paper attempts to assess how the synergy of BIM and blockchain would improve the SCM of the construction industry. For that purpose, through a systematic literature review, the paper structures the barriers of SCM, and barriers and benefits of BIM and blockchain in construction industry across the dimensions of Socio-technical, Industrial, Organizational, Financial, Legal and Institutional, and Sustainability, and conceptually maps the barriers and benefits to identify their collective impact on SCM. From this study it was found that with the help of Blockchain integration, there are a number of potential synergies that may solve critical inherent issues in both BIM and SCM, such as reluctance of information sharing and trust, sustainability concerns and safety, leading to positive cumulative impact on SCM. However, it was also recognized that there can be negative as well as neutral cumulative impacts on areas such as cost, and lack of personnel, knowledge and institutional support that can lead to an opposite impact.
Purpose The aim of this study is to examine the influence of consumer preferences for overseas green products and the implementation of blockchain technology on the performance of a supply chain, which comprises an overseas manufacturer and a domestic e-commerce platform. This research endeavors to identify the optimal pricing decisions and strategies for both the manufacturer and the platform in the context of the expanding e-commerce and globalization of the economy. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose and analyze four distinct models based on the selection of selling contracts by the manufacturer and the adoption strategy of blockchain by the platform, using game theory to obtain the optimal solutions for these models. Findings The authors show that consumer migration promotes the manufacturer's green inputs, while the expansion of green consumer proportion is not conducive to it. They also show that blockchain technology has the potential to effectively limit manufacturer cannibalization. Interestingly, the study reveals a cascading effect of advantage where the manufacturer's profit variation trend changes only with the integration of pricing power advantage and blockchain technology inputs. This effect suggests that the equilibrium strategy is achievable under the agency contract with blockchain adoption, while Pareto improvement can be obtained with blockchain technology under both selling contracts. Research limitations/implications This research could be extended in several possible directions. First, future work could explore outsourcing strategies for overseas manufacturers. Second, more types of consumer heterogeneity and different risk preferences could be considered. Third, this study can be extended by further exploring the design of mechanisms under asymmetric demand information to make the model more realistic. Originality/value The authors examine the impact of market segmentation and consumer preferences on green supply chain decisions, and analyze supply chain members' strategic choices for selling contracts and blockchain adoptions. The research also sheds light on the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of green supply chain development and blockchain applications.
Yongting Tian, Shouxu Song, Dan Zhou, Ruirui Yang ¡ 5 authors
This article underscores the necessity for sustainable and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices in product family configuration (PFC) projects, which are paramount to the global economy. Nevertheless, conventional approaches often fixate solely on design aspects, overlooking downstream supply chain configuration (SCC) considerations and the corresponding environmental benefits. Consequently, there is an escalating demand for an integrated optimisation approach that encompasses both PFC and SCC to realise economic and environmental advantages. This study delves into a methodology that integrates blockchain smart contracts as binary 0â1 variables with waste recycling and utilisation, yielding a comprehensive multi-objective model. The proposed methodology seamlessly incorporates considerations for both PFC and SCC. Furthermore, a nested leader-follower optimisation algorithm, based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), has been devised with the objective of achieving triple benefits: augmented profits, maintenance revenue, and diminished environmental emissions. In conclusion, this research contributes to the advancement of sustainable collaborative optimisation through the innovative utilisation of blockchain smart contracts and multi-level modelling. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, it is applied to a 60 KW DC electric vehicle (EV) charging piles, accompanied by a sensitivity analysis to assess its management implications.
YongâWu Zhou, Yu-shen Fu, Kunyu Wang, Jie Min ¡ 5 authors
Abstract Consumers typically have a higher preference and trust for traceability products, which makes many online platforms (e.g., JD.com, Tmall Global) and food manufacturers (e.g., BeingMate, Mengniu, Moutai) use blockchainâenabled traceability to improve product transparency and trust. This paper systematically analyzes the effects of constructing blockchainâbased information traceability systems (BITS) on supply chains led by different members in a dualâchannel supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and an online platform. We studied the optimal operational strategy for dualâchannel members in two scenarios without blockchain technology and different members (i.e., manufacturer and online platform) as leaders in building BITS. We find that BITS adoption can effectively improve the performance of supply chain members, but the value added to blockchain depends on the level of consumer goodwill toward BITS, the level of competition, and the proportion of cost sharing. We show that either the manufacturer or the online platform can be more profitable as a leader in building BITS. Further, we showed that either the manufacturer or the online platform, as the leader of BITS construction, should bear more construction costs so that the nonleader builder can gain more profit to achieve a winâwin result. Interestingly, as the leader of BITS construction bearing more construction costs can achieve higher system total profit.
Amin Jan, Anas A. Salameh, Haseeb Ur Rahman, Mohanad M. Alasiri
Abstract The nexus between manufacturing firms and the green environment is unavoidable. It is merely due to the huge waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from largeâscale production and complex supply chain management processes involved in manufacturing firms. Continuation of the traditional business practices during Industry 4.0 made it impossible for the manufacturing firm to commit to green environmental practices and comply with environmental SDGs. At odd, it requires novel business strategies to ensure compliance of manufacturing firms with environmental sustainable development goals (SDGs). Blockchain is an ideal technology for delivering green environmentalârelated information because it offers realâtime, shareable, and entirely transparent data kept on an immutable ledger that is accessible to members of a network. These green environmentalârelated information received in realâtime through blockchain technology help in the transformation of the traditional supply chain management practices into a more green supply chain management practice. This green transformation ensures business compliance with environmental SDGs and that compliance is shared with multiple stakeholders through blockchain technology in realâtime, thus approving a positive mediating role of green supply chain management practices between blockchain technology and environmental SDGs performance. The proposed strategic framework through various propositions development will mainly offer policy insights toward ( a ) identifying novel antecedents of blockchain technology, ( b ) offering insights toward upgrading the traditional supply chain management framework into a green supply chain management framework, and ( c ) illuminating novel mediating role of green supply chain management practices between blockchain technology and environmental SDGs performance.
Lu Wang, Jun Zhang, Jian Li, Huayi Yu ¡ 5 authors
Purpose This study aims to provide a series of drivers that prompt the blockchain technology (BT) adoption decisions in circular supply chain finance (SCF) and also assesses their degrees of influence and interrelationships, which leads to the construction of a theoretical model depicting the influence mechanism of BT adoption decisions in circular SCF. Design/methodology/approach This study mainly uses the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, which focuses on the aspects based on the nature of innovation, intra-organizational characteristics and extra environmental consideration, to identify the drivers of blockchain adoption in circular SCF context, while the significance and causality of the drivers are explained using interpreting structural models (ISMs) and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. Findings The findings of this study indicate that government policy and technological comparative advantage are the underlying reasons for BT adoption decisions, management commitment and financial expectations are the critical drivers of BT adoption decisions while other factors are the receivers of the mechanism. Practical implications This study provides theoretical references and empirical insights that influence the technology adoption decisions of both BT and circular SCF by practitioners. Originality/value The theoretical research contributes significantly to current research and knowledge in both BT and circular SCF fields, especially by extending the existing TOE model by combining relevant enablers from technological, organizational and external environmental aspects with the financial performance objectives of circular SCF services, which refer to the optimization of the financial resources flows and financing efficiency.
To promote theoretical and empirical research on blockchain-enabled supply chain finance in China, this article provides an overview of relevant studies in China. Currently, research related to blockchain-enabled supply chain finance in China primarily focuses on three aspects: the underlying mechanisms of blockchain-enabled supply chain finance (including decentralization and consensus mechanisms, distributed storage, tamper resistance, and anti-denial features, as well as smart contracts), the positive effects of blockchain-enabled supply chain finance (including comprehensive effects, credit transmission, risk management) and the application scenarios of blockchain-enabled supply chain finance, and the impact mechanisms of blockchain on supply chain finance gaming behaviors (including the influence of blockchain on supply chain finance decision-making, risk assessment, and the supply chain financial system). Overall, research in China on the positive effects of blockchain-enabled supply chain finance (such as cost and benefit analysis, micro-level efficiency) is relatively limited. Additionally, studies on the factors affecting the adoption of blockchain in supply chain finance and the behavior of banks and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in blockchain adoption within supply chain finance are relatively scarce. Given the backdrop of financial technology, further research is needed to deepen our understanding of various aspects related to blockchain-enabled supply chain finance in China.