The Struggle is Real: Adoption Insights from a Supply Chain Blockchain Case

Despite the anticipated benefits and the numerous announcements of pilot cases, we have seen very few successful implementations of blockchain technology (BCT) solutions in supply chains. Little is empirically known about the obstacles to blockchain adoption, particularly in a supply chain’s inter-organizational setting. In supply chains, blockchains’ benefits, for example BCT-based tracking and tracing, are dependent on a critical mass of supply chain actors’ adopting the technology. While previous research has mainly been conceptual and has lacked both theory and empirical data, we propose a theory-based model for inter-organizational adoption of BCT. We use the proposed model to analyze a unique, in-depth revelatory case study. Our case study confirms previous conceptual work and reveals a paradox as well as several tensions between drivers for and against (positive and negative determining factors, respectively) of BCT adoption that must be managed in an inter-organizational setting. In this vertical context, the adoption and integration decision of one supply chain actor recursively affects the adoption and integration decisions of the other supply chain actors. This paper contributes mid-range theory on BCT in supply chain management (SCM), future research directions, and managerial insights on BCT adoption in supply chains.