The impact of the blockchain on the supply chain: a theory-based research framework and a call for action

By Horst Treiblmaier. Supply Chain Management, 2018

692 citations recorded by the source corpus.

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.

Subfields: Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Strategy and Management

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/3f871adcd5c500cb8f6ca2a2dffa93ae95a01369

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Citations in the corpus

A supply chain transparency and sustainability technology appraisal model for blockchain technology (2019, background): “They also have sustainability (Kouhizadeh and Sarkis 2018; Kshetri 2018), and other potential implications (Treiblmaier 2018).”
When Blockchain Meets Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review on Current Development and Potential Applications (2020, background): “Many studies adopted the perspective of transaction cost [131].”
Blockchain technology: implications for operations and supply chain management (2019, background): “Treiblmaier (2018) considered four established economic theories (principal agent theory, transaction cost analysis, resource-based view, network theory) to initiate and stimulate an academic discussion on the potential impact of blockchain but the author also appealed for more research to be…”
Can supply chain risk management practices mitigate the disruption impacts on supply chains’ resilience and robustness? Evidence from an empirical survey in a COVID-19 outbreak era (2020, background): “, 2017), blockchain (Treiblmaier, 2018; Yu et al., 2018), SCRM (Fan and Stevenson, 2018),”