Table 5 Contributions, implications, and... | Emerald Publishing

Table 5

Contributions, implications, and further research

Theoretical contributions	Connections to literature	Implications for practitioners	Further research
1. BC as a Driver of Innovation and Sustainability	Extend BC’s role beyond functional benefits to innovation and systemic transformation (e.g. Arianpoor and Borhani, 2024; Bag et al., 2022; Jan et al., 2024) Emphasise BC’s transformative effects on transparency, efficiency, and trust (e.g. Dey and Shekhawat, 2021; Feng et al., 2020; Friedman and Ormiston, 2022)	Leverage BC to foster innovation, streamline processes, and enhance stakeholder relationships Position BC as a strategic asset to optimise market performance and sustainability in business processes	RQ: What is the role of blockchain-related benefits to specific sustainability practices, such as in circular economy initiatives? RQ: What are the contributions of different BC-related benefits to the strategic alignment?
2. Complex Real-World Applications of BC for Sustainability	Highlight configurational effects of BC benefits and strategic alignment challenges (e.g. Jiang et al., 2022; Mulligan et al., 2024; Lezzi et al., 2024) Provide evidence on synergic effects involving transparency, collaboration, and resource optimisation (e.g. Rehman et al., 2023; Xu et al., 2024)	Understand real-world complexities to align technical and strategic goals Align BC with broader strategies and stakeholder collaboration Optimise internal processes and external supply chain dynamics	RQ: How do the specific relational dynamics and technical competencies enabled by blockchain technology interact to drive sustainability outcomes? RQ: How does blockchain technology impact the sustainability practices of organisations beyond tier one suppliers in the agri-food supply chain? RQ: How does blockchain technology impact various organisational contexts or different industries?
3. Framework for Integrating BC into Organisational Strategies	Offer an evidence-based framework that integrates BC technological and value-driven dimensions. (e.g. Friedman and Ormiston, 2022; Mulligan et al., 2024; Jan et al., 2024)	Provide a roadmap for implementing BC across industries, balancing operational optimisation with external stakeholder integration Offer insights for integrating transparency, legitimacy, and stakeholder accountability in sustainability reporting	RQ: How do the technology-driven, process-driven, and value-driven pathways for blockchain implementation interact and evolve as companies experience new technology? RQ: To what extent can regulation or economic conjuncture impacts be systematically categorised and measured to assess BC’s role as a technological and systemic enabler?

Theoretical contributions	Connections to literature	Implications for practitioners	Further research
1. BC as a Driver of Innovation and Sustainability	Extend BC’s role beyond functional benefits to innovation and systemic transformation (e.g. Arianpoor and Borhani, 2024; Bag et al., 2022; Jan et al., 2024) Emphasise BC’s transformative effects on transparency, efficiency, and trust (e.g. Dey and Shekhawat, 2021; Feng et al., 2020; Friedman and Ormiston, 2022)	Leverage BC to foster innovation, streamline processes, and enhance stakeholder relationships Position BC as a strategic asset to optimise market performance and sustainability in business processes	RQ: What is the role of blockchain-related benefits to specific sustainability practices, such as in circular economy initiatives?RQ: What are the contributions of different BC-related benefits to the strategic alignment?
2. Complex Real-World Applications of BC for Sustainability	Highlight configurational effects of BC benefits and strategic alignment challenges (e.g. Jiang et al., 2022; Mulligan et al., 2024; Lezzi et al., 2024) Provide evidence on synergic effects involving transparency, collaboration, and resource optimisation (e.g. Rehman et al., 2023; Xu et al., 2024)	Understand real-world complexities to align technical and strategic goals Align BC with broader strategies and stakeholder collaboration Optimise internal processes and external supply chain dynamics	RQ: How do the specific relational dynamics and technical competencies enabled by blockchain technology interact to drive sustainability outcomes?RQ: How does blockchain technology impact the sustainability practices of organisations beyond tier one suppliers in the agri-food supply chain?RQ: How does blockchain technology impact various organisational contexts or different industries?
3. Framework for Integrating BC into Organisational Strategies	Offer an evidence-based framework that integrates BC technological and value-driven dimensions. (e.g. Friedman and Ormiston, 2022; Mulligan et al., 2024; Jan et al., 2024)	Provide a roadmap for implementing BC across industries, balancing operational optimisation with external stakeholder integration Offer insights for integrating transparency, legitimacy, and stakeholder accountability in sustainability reporting	RQ: How do the technology-driven, process-driven, and value-driven pathways for blockchain implementation interact and evolve as companies experience new technology?RQ: To what extent can regulation or economic conjuncture impacts be systematically categorised and measured to assess BC’s role as a technological and systemic enabler?

Source(s): Authors’ own work