•We conducted a bibliometric analysis to assess the current status of research on blockchain.•We highlighted the most relevant sources in blockchain research.•We provided an introduction of all ...papers accepted in the special issue.•We formulated future research directions on blockchain and its interplay with operations and supply chain management.
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.
Purpose
This paper aims to identify, analyse and organise the literature about blockchains in supply chain management (SCM) context (blockchain–SCM integration) and proposes an agenda for future ...research. This study aims to shed light on what the main current blockchain applications in SCM are, what the main disruptions and challenges are in SCM because of blockchain adoption and what the future of blockchains holds in SCM.
Design/methodology/approach
This study followed the systematic review approach to analyse and synthesise the extant literature on blockchain–SCM integration. The review analysed 27 papers between 2008 and 2018 in peer-reviewed journals.
Findings
Blockchain–SCM integration is still in its infancy. Scholars and practitioners are not fully aware of the potential of blockchain technology to disrupt traditional business models. However, the electric power industry seems to have a relatively mature understanding of blockchain–SCM integration, demonstrated by the use of smart contracts. Additionally, the disintermediation provided by blockchain applications has the potential to disrupt traditional industries (e.g. health care, transportation and retail).
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study are represented mainly by the scarcity of studies on blockchain–SCM integration in leading journals and databases.
Practical implications
This study highlights examples of blockchain–SCM integration, emphasising the need to rethink business models to incorporate blockchain technology.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to synthesise existing publications about the blockchain–SCM integration, shedding light on the disruption caused by, and the necessity of, the SCM reconfigurations.
•The blockchain technology has the potential of disrupting well-established business models in logistics and supply chains.•Blockchain adoption by logistics and supply chain management professionals ...is still at its nascent stage.•Performance expectancy is a sensible variable that highly influences blockchain adoption by supply chain professionals.•Facilitating conditions are quite different from one country to another in relation to individual behaviors to adopt.
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.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak shows that pandemics and epidemics can seriously wreak havoc on supply chains (SC) around the globe. Humanitarian logistics literature has extensively studied ...epidemic impacts; however, there exists a research gap in understanding of pandemic impacts in commercial SCs. To progress in this direction, we present a systematic analysis of the impacts of epidemic outbreaks on SCs guided by a structured literature review that collated a unique set of publications. The literature review findings suggest that influenza was the most visible epidemic outbreak reported, and that optimization of resource allocation and distribution emerged as the most popular topic. The streamlining of the literature helps us to reveal several new research tensions and novel categorizations/classifications. Most centrally, we propose a framework for operations and supply chain management at the times of COVID-19 pandemic spanning six perspectives, i.e., adaptation, digitalization, preparedness, recovery, ripple effect, and sustainability. Utilizing the outcomes of our analysis, we tease out a series of open research questions that would not be observed otherwise. Our study also emphasizes the need and offers directions to advance the literature on the impacts of the epidemic outbreaks on SCs framing a research agenda for scholars and practitioners working on this emerging research stream.
In recent years, emerging technologies have gained popularity and being implemented in different fields. Thus, critical leading-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and other related ...technologies (blockchain, simulation, 3d printing, etc.) are transforming the operations and other traditional fields and proving their value in fighting against unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks. However, due to this relation's novelty, little is known about the interplay between emerging technologies and COVID-19 and its implications to operations-related fields. In this vein, we mapped the extant literature on this integration by a structured literature review approach and found essential outcomes. In addition to the literature mapping, this paper's main contributions were identifying literature scarcity on this hot topic by operations-related fields; consequently, our paper emphasizes an urgent call to action. Also, we present a novel framework considering the primary emerging technologies and the operations processes concerning this pandemic outbreak. Also, we provided an exciting research agenda and four propositions derived from the framework, which are collated to operations processes angle. Thus, scholars and practitioners have the opportunity to adapt and advance the framework and empirically investigate and validate the propositions for this and other highly disruptive crisis.
The logistics and supply chain management (SCM) field is experimenting with the integration of blockchain, a cutting-edge, and highly disruptive technology. Yet, blockchain is still nascent, and the ...extant literature on this technology is scarce, especially as regards the relationship between blockchain and SCM. Additionally, existing studies have not yet addressed sufficiently the enablers of blockchain adoption and the interplay with supply chain performance. In order to reduce this gap, this study aims to examine the potential influence of blockchain on supply chain performance. We draw on the literature on technology adoption and supply chain performance, as well as on the emerging blockchain literature, to develop and test a model in two countries, namely India and the US. Accordingly, we administered a survey in order to review the opinions and views of supply chain practitioners. The results support the model and indicate that blockchain applications can improve supply chain performance. In particular, our findings suggest that knowledge sharing and trading partner pressure play an important role in blockchain adoption, and that supply chain performance is significantly influenced by supply chain transparency and blockchain transparency. Another finding was the inexistence of evidence for a moderation effect of the industry variable on the outcomes. The research conclusions have substantial managerial and theoretical implications. Our model contributes mainly to the theoretical advancement of SCM-blockchain, thus allowing scholars to adapt our validated model.
•We drew on the literature on technology adoption, supply chain and blockchain.•We propose a model investigating blockchain adoption determinants in supply chain.•We tested the model using data from India and the US.•All proposed hypotheses were supported in both countries.•We found no significant adoption behavior differences between the two countries.
The emergence of Industry 4.0 has brought in its wake an important number of challenges and opportunities for organisations across the globe. To cope with such a fast-changing environment, ...organisations have been steadily implementing different types of technologies, and at different stages. One of the most disruptive and promising technology is blockchain, and its potential to transform various aspects of organisations' business and operations, including the supply chain relationships, is tremendous. In line with the global research trend in this domain, this paper proposes a multi-stage model of adoption (intention, adoption, and routinisation stages), for a better understanding of blockchain diffusion across supply chains. We drew on the diffusion of innovations theory, the resource-based view, dynamic capability, the technology adoption model, and the institutional theory to propose a multi-stage model. We validated the model using PLS-SEM, which was applied on data collected in India and the U.S. Our results showed that, from one country to another, there are essential differences in the variables that determine blockchain innovation and in the stage of diffusion. Additionally, our proposed model provided a good explanation at all stages of blockchain diffusion. This study offers significant and valuable contributions in terms of theory and management.
The adoption of technologies by the operations and supply chain management (OSCM) field is leading to extraordinary disruptions. And with the rapid emergence of cutting-edge and more disruptive ...technologies, the OSCM is striving to take advantage of such innovations, but they are bringing in their wake a number of challenges. One of those disruptive technologies is blockchain, which is increasingly accepted in virtually all industries. This study aims to investigate the blockchain technology (BCT) adoption behaviour and possible barriers in the Brazilian OSCM context. We developed a model drawing on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, the supply chain literature, and the emerging literature on BCT. We empirically validated the proposed model with Brazilian operations and supply chain professionals by using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Our findings revealed that facilitating conditions, trust, social influence, and effort expectancy are the most critical constructs that directly affect BCT adoption. Unexpectedly, performance expectancy appeared not decisive in terms of predicting BCT adoption. This study contributes to advancing and stimulating the theory about BCT adoption behaviour in supply chains, as well as important managerial implications, which may be more critical for emerging economies.
•Five themes characterize AI research today, none concern AI for social good.•Future AI research is predicted to be technical with a focus on image processing.•136 research questions are proposed to ...prepare for a “good” AI society.
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be one of the most disruptive technologies of the 21st century, with the potential to transform every aspect of society. Preparing for a “good AI society” has become a hot topic, with growing public and scientific interest in the principles, policies, incentives, and ethical frameworks necessary for society to enjoy the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks associated with its use. However, despite the renewed interest in artificial intelligence, little is known of the direction in which AI scholarship is moving and whether the field is evolving towards the goal of building a “good AI society”. Based on a bibliometric analysis of 40147 documents retrieved from the Web of Science database, this study describes the intellectual, social, and conceptual structure of AI research. It provides 136 evidence-based research questions about how AI research can help understand the social changes brought about by AI and prepare for a “good AI society.” The research agenda is organized according to ten social impact domains identified from the literature, including crisis response, economic empowerment, educational challenges, environmental challenges, equality and inclusion, health and hunger, information verification and validation, infrastructure management, public and social sector management, security, and justice.
While the potential benefits of integrating digital technologies and supply chain management have been widely reported, less is known concerning the current state-of-the-art literature on big ...data-driven sustainable supply chains. Therefore, this study aims to systematise published studies which address the implications of big data for sustainable supply chain management. Through a systematic literature review, this work makes three significant contributions: (a) it provides an overview of extant literature on this topic in recent years; (b) it proposes seven gaps in the literature in order to foster future investigations on big data-driven sustainable supply chains; (c) it offers four lessons for business practitioners aiming to use big data for sustainable supply chain practices. These lessons suggest that: developing big data analytics capability has to become a business priority in order to effectively build competitive sustainable supply chains; big data has benefits for each of the dimensions of the triple-bottom-line in supply chains; the implementation of big data for sustainability in supply chains presents some challenges for firms; the development of complementary organizational capabilities is needed to overcome challenges and facilitate the benefits of big data technology for sustainable supply chain management.
Display omitted
•Digitally-enabled sustainable supply chains provide both challenges and opportunities.•The state-of-the-art regarding digitally-enabled sustainable supply chains is still to be presented.•A systematisation of the knowledge in this field is presented with a focus on big data.•A research agenda containing pressing research gaps is presented.
PDF
