Dr Birgit Altrichter

Purpose – Firms are increasingly pressured to comply with mandatory supply chain transparency (SCT) regulations. Drawing on information processing theory (IPT), the authors show how blockchain technology can address information uncertainty and equivocality in assuring regulatory compliance in an interorganizational network (ION).Design/methodology/approach – IPT is applied in a single case study of an ION in the mining industry that aimed to implement blockchain to address mandatory SCT regulations. The authors build on a rich proprietary dataset consisting of interviews and substantial secondary material from actors along the supply chain.Findings – Our case shows that blockchain creates equality between actors, enables compliance, and enhances efficiency in an ION, reducing information uncertainty and equivocality arising from conflict minerals regulation. The system promotes engagement and data sharing between parties, whilst protecting commercial sensitive information. The lack of central authority prevents larger partners from taking control. The system provides mineral provenance and a regulation-compliant record. System cost analysis shows that the system is efficient as it is inexpensive relative to volumes and values of metals transacted. Issues were identified related to collecting richer human rights data for assurance and compliance with due diligence regulations.Originality/value – We provide some of the first evidence in the operations and supply chain management literature of the specific architecture, costs, and limitations of using blockchain for SCT. Using an information processing theory lens in an ION setting, we demonstrate how blockchain-based systems can address two key IPT challenges: environmental uncertainty and equivocality.Acknowledgements This paper is dedicated to Dr Alisha Tuladhar, who died in September 2022 as the research for this paper came to an end. Alisha’s desire to see her research have a positive impact on the world was a driving force behind the paper’s development and she contributed to its progress in the way that she contributed to everything she did: whole-heartedly and with intelligence and passion.  The authors would like to thank their respondents at Minespider for their participation and engagement in our research project.  The authors thank Andreas Wieland and Jens Roehrich for their helpful advice, who provided valuable and detailed feedback on drafts of the paper, and attendees of both the International Annual EurOMA Conference in Berlin in June 2022 and the Competitive Advantage in the Digital Economy (CADE) conference in Venice in July 2022, where several questions were asked which caused us to reflect on and improve the paper.  The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EPSRC Centre for the Decentralised Digital Economy (DECADE) [EP/T022485/1], the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg NWE project “Blockstart: Blockchain-based applications for SME competitiveness”, and the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM).

Autonomous stores operate without needing on-site staff present to support and monitor customers. This study seeks to determine which autonomous stores are most likely to succeed. By adapting convenience theory and drawing on secondary and qualitative data, the authors identify unique features of autonomous stores that constitute convenience dimensions: options for check-in (access convenience), staff support (assistance convenience), check-out (transaction convenience), and to allow customers to check their itemized baskets (verification convenience). Perceptions of convenience, autonomy, and safety explain the influences of unique store features. A conjoint experiment provides a test of the direct effects of each dimension on store patronage and indirect effects through convenience, autonomy, and safety perceptions. The results indicate that, with the exception of check-out, consumers prefer staffed stores; having to check in (e.g., with a credit card), limited access to (remote) staff, and an inability to verify the basket before payment represent significant barriers. In turn, some trade-offs arise: Store features that increase convenience and autonomy undermine safety perceptions. Finally, community-based and rural locations are better suited for autonomous stores than anonymous traffic hubs. Retail managers can leverage these findings to decide whether to establish autonomous stores and, if so, with which design.

This research aims to identify paradoxes in the context of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Paradoxes are phenomena that are contradictory, appearing rational in isolation, but illogical in combination [1]. Expert interviews and a Delphi study will be used to identify paradoxes that are emerging with DLTs. From this we aim to deduce managerial implications on how to resolve challenges associated with these paradoxes and develop a research agenda. The identified paradoxes will help organizations working with DLTs as research sheds light on emerging tensions (e.g., related to sustainability and inherent trust), and potentially how they may be resolved.

Despite the significant attention given to blockchain technology, there needs to be more understanding of the related organizational challenges to adoption. This research provides a systematic literature review (SLR) to comprehensively explore the current literature and answer the following three research questions: 1) Which organizational theories are used to examine blockchain technology in supply chain management (SCM)? 2) What is the value of blockchain technology for SCM? 3)What are the organizational capabilities that influence the success of blockchain technology implementation in supply chains? Through the SLR, we identify the organizational theories applied to investigate the impact of blockchain technology on SCM and examine the main drivers of blockchain deployment. The study also investigates specific dimensions of blockchain technology capability, laying the groundwork for further research on this important emerging research area.