Horst Treiblmaier

Agricultural commodity supply chains are characterized by the involvement of multiple intermediaries, lack of access to finance and poor financial conditions of farmers. Additionally, there exist numerous inefficiencies and a lack of transparency in the trading processes. Blockchain-enabled supply chain finance (SCF) solutions can potentially help to overcome these problems. However, there is limited research on the process of developing and implementing such solutions and the potential consequences of their implementation. In this paper, we apply the Context-Intervention-Mechanism-Outcome (CIMO) framework to systematically analyze case studies of four firms that have developed blockchain-enabled SCF solutions in agricultural commodity supply chains. The findings show that blockchain-enabled SCF solutions can reduce different types of transaction costs such as costs associated with information search, negotiation and contracting costs, and costs of accessing finance. The solutions designed with the core objective of improving the financial conditions of farmers will differ from those with the core objective of reducing process inefficiencies. The findings of the study will benefit companies planning to develop and implement blockchain-enabled SCF solutions, by highlighting operational challenges and offering concrete solutions on how they can be overcome.

Research on digital businesses builds upon a well-established set of theories, models, and frameworks. A frequently used approach within the paradigm of common variance theory is to first create a theory-based model and then test it using a multivariate method. Cross-sectional data is often used to test the overall fit of the model and the significance of its parameters, yet this approach fails to take into account the important role of temporal dynamics and the potential change of parameters over time, which constitutes an important research gap. For example, the popular Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) provides a snapshot in time, but cannot explain the postulated temporal patterns of the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory. In this exploratory paper, we call for a theoretical and methodological paradigm shift and introduce process theory as a complement to the popular variance theory. This theory considers how entities change over time and create important network effects. Additionally, we illustrate how agent-based modeling (ABM) in combination with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) can help to create models that combine the rigor of multivariate statistical methods with the capability of process theory to account for changes over time. Using ABM within the process theory paradigm can help to create meaningful models that are capable of incorporating temporal dynamics.

The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) has fundamentally reshaped the agricultural sector. In recent years, academic research on the IoT has grown at an unprecedented pace. However, the broad picture of how this technology can benefit the agricultural sector is still missing. To close this research gap, we conduct a bibliometric study to investigate the current state of the IoT and agriculture in academic literature. Using a resource-based view (RBV), we also identify those agricultural resources that are mostly impacted by the introduction of the IoT (i.e., seeds, soil, water, fertilizers, pesticides, energy, livestock, human resources, technology infrastructure, business relations) and propose numerous themes for future research.

In the wake of blockchain technology, token offerings emerged as a new way of corporate finance, whereby companies sell digital tokens representing some kind of value to the public, typically in exchange for cryptocurrency or fiat money. Within a short couple of years, various types of tokens were developed that serve different purposes and numerous potentials and shortcomings of the so-called token economy have surfaced. Its potential impact reaches far beyond the financial sector and entails profound implications on businesses and the economy as a whole. In this paper, a mixed-methods approach is used which consists of a quantitative analysis of the properties of 254 tokens in combination with 15 qualitative expert interviews to present a thorough investigation of the constituents and consequences of the token economy. Furthermore, a definition of token economy is proposed, the business, economic and legal implications are investigated and the roles of the stakeholders in a token ecosystem are highlighted. Finally, a structured agenda for future research is presented.

Blockchain technology has been suggested as a groundbreaking solution for disaster prevention and relief. However, there is a dearth of both practical applications and systematic academic research into how those existing blockchain solutions actually help to prevent disasters and/or alleviate their negative impacts. The purpose of this paper is to extend previous research by investigating existing blockchain solutions using a rigorous multiple case study approach. Based on stakeholder theory, a structured framework is developed that examines the roles of key stakeholders in disaster situations, illustrates organizations’ motivations to deploy blockchain technology, identifies various use cases, lists the relevant blockchain properties, and highlights contingency factors for successful implementations. The findings demonstrate that blockchain applications can improve both disaster prevention as well as disaster relief efforts by streamlining information flows and augmenting the capabilities of core stakeholders. Furthermore, numerous propositions can be derived from the framework that can be used as starting points for further in-depth investigations. This study familiarizes practitioners with blockchain’s potential for disaster management and provides academics with a theory-based foundation for future research.

In the context of blockchain technologies, tokens present a novel way to transfer
value between parties without relying on traditional intermediaries. The so-called
‘token economy’ has only recently attracted the attention of practitioners
and academics, who seek to understand the potential of tokenization, but also its
challenges and pitfalls. In this book, leading practitioners and academics provide
a comprehensive overview, explore theories on the future of the token economy
and provide real world case studies from a range of industries.

Exploratory factor analysis is commonly used in IS research to detect multiva- riate data structures. Frequently, the method is blindly applied without checking if the data at hand fulfill the requirements of the method. In this paper, we investi- gate the influence of sample size, data transformation, factor extraction method, rotation and number of factors on the outcome. We compare classical explorato- ry factor analysis with a robust counterpart which is less influenced by data out- liers and data heterogeneities. Our analyses reveal that robust exploratory factor analysis is more stable than the classical method.

Background: Companies partaking in modern supply chains face numerous intra- and interorganizational barriers when it comes to the adoption of blockchain technology. Empirical research is missing that explores how exactly these barriers can be overcome. In this paper we first explore barriers that organizations need to overcome to successfully deploy blockchain technology. In a second step, we investigate the agrifood industry and highlight differences in coping strategies between incumbents and start-ups. Methods: We conducted a quantitative survey with 190 supply chain experts to identify barriers and an in-depth qualitative study that included 10 expert interviews to better understand the current situation in agrifood organizations. Results: The findings from the quantitative study show that the most relevant organizational barrier to blockchain adoption is the widespread lack of understanding of the technology and its potential benefits. In the qualitative study we illustrate how various intra- and interorganizational barriers can be overcome and how the resources and capabilities differ between incumbents and start-ups. Conclusions: Our results provide academics with a better understanding of the relevant barriers and bridges of blockchain adoption. Practitioners benefit from learning about the resources and capabilities they need to deploy in order to benefit from blockchain technology.

Drones, also called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), have witnessed a remarkable development in recent decades. In agriculture, they have changed farming practices by offering farmers substantial cost savings, increased operational efficiency, and better profitability. Over the past decades, the topic of agricultural drones has attracted remarkable academic attention. We therefore conduct a comprehensive review based on bibliometrics to summarize and structure existing academic literature and reveal current research trends and hotspots. We apply bibliometric techniques and analyze the literature surrounding agricultural drones to summarize and assess previous research. Our analysis indicates that remote sensing, precision agriculture, deep learning, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are critical topics related to agricultural drones. The co-citation analysis reveals six broad research clusters in the literature. This study is one of the first attempts to summarize drone research in agriculture and suggest future research directions.

Purpose
Blockchain is increasingly being considered for applications in operations and supply chain management. However, evidence from practice is still scarce on why, where and how organizations seek to apply the technology in the supply chain across different industries. The study develops a comprehensive framework to enhance understanding of the application areas of blockchain technology in the supply chain, as well as organizations' motivations in seeking blockchain solutions and relevant contingency factors influencing applications.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors investigate 50 use cases of blockchain applications in the supply chain, covering six industries. Contingency theory is applied in conducting a qualitative textual and correlation analysis to identify and compare blockchain adoption motivations, application areas and contingency factors across different industries.

Findings
The analysis develops an evidence-based framework that captures ten principal motivations in seeking blockchain solutions, three main blockchain application areas along with important application sub-categories and five clusters of contingency factors that influence blockchain deployment and its uses in different industrial sectors.

Research limitations/implications
The study expands the limited cross-sectoral research on blockchain applications and motivations in the supply chain. Using contingency theory, it presents a comprehensive framework that captures the drivers and factors relating to blockchain adoption in the supply chain in a nomological network. The study lays the foundation for further theoretical perspectives and empirical research to investigate relevant sectoral characteristics and their importance for different types of blockchain application in the supply chain.

Practical implications
The study informs practitioners about potential supply chain application areas that can be enhanced through blockchain technology, taking account of the specific characteristics of their products, business and manufacturing processes, supply network configurations, industry standards, regulations and market demand.

Originality/value
The study is the first to provide cross-sectoral evidence on the relevance of organizations' motivations and numerous contingency factors on blockchain application areas in the supply chain.

The disruptive impact of blockchain technologies can be felt across numerous industries as it threatens to disrupt existing business models and economic structures. To better understand this impact, academic researchers regularly apply well-established theories and methods. The vast majority of these approaches are based on multivariate methods that rely on average behavior and treat extreme cases as outliers. However, as recent history has shown, current developments in blockchain and cryptocurrencies are frequently characterized by aberrant behavior and unexpected events that shape individuals’ perceptions, market behavior, and public policymaking. In this pa-per, I apply various scenario tools to identify such extreme scenarios and illustrate their underlying structure as bundles of interdependent factors. Using the case of Bitcoin, I illustrate that the iden-tification of extreme positive and negative scenarios is complex and heavily depends on underlying economic assumptions. I present three scenarios in which Bitcoin is characterized as a financial savior, as a severe threat to economic stability, or as a substitute to overcome several shortcomings of the existing financial system. The research questions that can be derived from these scenarios bridge behavioral and design science research and provide a fertile ground for impactful future research.

Blockchain technology can play a crucial role to facilitate the transition from a linear to a circular economy. This article evaluates those enablers that influence technology adoption in the circular economy. A comprehensive literature review and feedback from experts revealed nineteen critical enablers. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology was used to determine the cause-and-effect relationships between them. The findings identified five critical causal enablers: transparency, security, smart contracts, traceability, and enhanced collaboration. Effect enablers were identified as immutability, decentralization, privacy, automation, information sharing, and enhanced regulation.

At first sight the Internet is the ideal medium for carrying out banking activities due to its cost savings potential and speed of information transmission. From a technological and cost-driven standpoint it may seem quite logical for banks to shift as many banking activities online as possible. At the same time, the question of how to foster customer loyalty arises when the relationship between the bank and the user becomes a virtual one.
This paper investigates the importance of antecedents of online loyalty such as trust, quality of the Web site, quality of the service and overall satisfaction. Rather than investigating which factors drive customers to use online
banking instead of offline banking, this paper addresses the problem of how to keep customers online and loyal to a specific supplier.
A survey among more than 2,000 customers of an Austrian online bank was conducted and a structural equation modeling approach was used to gain important insights into how customer retention in the online banking business
can be ensured. Satisfaction and trust were identified as important antecedents of loyalty. Additionally, the moderating role of consumer characteristics (gender, age, involvement, perceived risk and technophobia) was supported by the data.

In this paper we critically evaluate the applicability of
blockchain-based smart contracts to reduce unfair trading practices (UTPs) in
the food supply chain. Face-to-face interviews and a quantitative survey were
used to collect and analyse the opinions of 20 experts in blockchain and food
supply management. The results show that contractual parties with asymmetric
bargaining power along the food supply chain can implement blockchain-based
smart contracts to reduce the negative impacts of UTPs. The creation of
templates for such types of contracts and promotion by regulative authorities
could help their dissemination. This is the first study to explore the
applicability of blockchain-based smart contracts in the food supply chain
and its impact on UTPs. We especially focus on the needs of small and
medium-sized food producers and farmers who experience negative impacts on
their businesses due to existing power asymmetries.

The metaverse represents an immersive digital environment that has garnered significant attention as a result of its potential to revolutionize various industry sectors and its profound societal impact. While academic interest in the metaverse has surged, a dearth of comprehensive review articles employing bibliometric techniques remains. This study seeks to address this gap by analyzing 595 metaverse-related journal articles using bibliometric and topic modeling techniques, marking the first of its kind to investigate the bibliometric profile of metaverse research. The findings reveal exponential growth in metaverse research since 2020, identifying major trends, prolific authors, and the most active journals in the field. A keyword co-occurrence analysis further uncovers four sig-nificant clusters of metaverse-related interests, highlighting its unique facets and underscoring its far-reaching implications across various sectors, including education, healthcare, retail, and tour-ism. This study emphasizes the need for more research and collaboration in advancing the metaverse field and presents 27 research questions for future investigation. This comprehensive analysis serves as a foundation for understanding the current state of metaverse research and its potential trajectory.

The application of blockchain or, more generally, distributed ledger technology (DLT) in logistics and supply chain management (SCM) has created a huge amount of interest among academics and practitioners. The potential to create shared and immutable data records and deploy so-called smart contracts, which is program code that is executed automatically, has raised high hopes in relation to improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of supply chains. In this chapter, we clarify relevant terms of the blockchain ecosystem and present the results from a literature review in which we summarise current academic findings and identify various drivers (i.e., traceability, trust and transparency, supply chain integration, data security and privacy, sustainability) as well as technical, organisational, and regulatory barriers of blockchain adoption. Finally, we list industry projects and illustrate how they apply blockchain technology. This chapter equips scholars and practitioners with an understanding of how blockchain can provide value in modern supply chains.

In this chapter, we summarize and discuss the transformations that are brought about by integrating robotics in agriculture and the food industry. In Section 7.2, several enablers of robotics and their impact on farming and manufacturing environments are presented. Section 7.3 gives a brief overview on the fourth industrial revolution and its implications in the food industry. This section also highlights the collaborative activities of humans and robots, as well as the interconnection of cobots, automation, and wireless networks with the goal of optimized food production. In Section 7.4, the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the food sector is discussed in some detail. Section 7.5 briefly outlines food processing and handling with the application of Industry 4.0 technologies. Section 7.6 discusses automation that engages robots and robotic systems in the food industry. Finally, Section 7.7 concludes the chapter with several practical examples.

Purpose – Crowdfunding (CF) has become an increasingly popularmeans of financing for entrepreneurs and has
attracted significant attention fromboth researchers and practitioners in recent years.The purpose of this study is
to investigate the core content and knowledge diffusion paths in the CF field. Specifically, we aim to identify the
main topics and themes that have emerged in this field and to trace the evolution of CF knowledge over time.

Design/methodology/approach – This study employs co-word clustering and main path analysis (MPA) to
examine the historical development of CF research based on 1,528 journal articles retrieved from the Web of
Science Core Collection database.

Findings – The results of the analysis reveal that CF research focuses on seven themes: sustainability,
entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurship, fintech, social entrepreneurship, social capital, and microcredits.
The analysis of the four main paths reveals that equity CF has been the dominant topic in the past years.
Recently, CF research has tended to focus on topics such as fintech, the COVID-19 pandemic, competition,
Brexit, and policy response.

Originality/value – To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first attempt to explore knowledge diffusion
dynamics in the CF field. Overall, the study offers a structure for analyzing the paths through which knowledge
is diffused, enabling scholars to effectively manage a large volume of research papers and gain a deeper
understanding of the historical, current, and future trends in the development of CF.

A company's information technology (IT) structure and its brand architecture are intended to minimize transaction costs both within the organization and between the organization and its customers. Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce fundamentally alters the structure of those transaction costs relevant to the IT structure and the brand architecture. We conducted a survey among 102 chief information officers and chief marketing officers in 67 of the 100 most important B2C enterprises in Austria. The results show that companies typically implement a certain set of changes in the IT structure and the brand architecture if B2C e-commerce is highly important to them and that these changes result in a stronger integration within and between the IT structure and the brand architecture. B2C e-commerce projects thus require closely aligned conceptual, organizational and financial measures in both areas.

The circular economy (CE) has emerged as a paradigm to protect the environment and the well-being of future generations. In parallel, Blockchain technology (BC) has emerged as a critical enabler for accelerating the transition toward a CE. In order to understand and summarize prior research on the role of BC in the CE, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 70 seminal articles published before July 2022. Six main themes emerged: a) CE approaches and practices, b) BC and the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), c) sustainable supply chain management, d) BC and the CE in the COVID-19 era, e) sector-specific BC applications, and f) barriers to BC adoption in the CE. Furthermore, we develop a comprehensive framework that integrates stakeholders, strategies and practices, industrial sectors and a BC-enabled CE.

The proliferation of sophisticated e-commerce platforms coupled with mobile applications has ignited growth in business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce, reshaped organizational structures, and revamped value creation processes. Simultaneously, new technologies have altered the dynamics of brand marketing, enabling a broader reach and more personalized targeting aimed at increasing brand trust and enhancing customer loyalty. Today, the Internet allows marketers to penetrate deeper into their existing markets, create new online marketplaces and to generate new demand. This dynamic market engagement uses new technologies to target consumers more effectively. In this conceptual paper, we discuss how blockchain technology can potentially impact a firm's marketing activities. More specifically, we illustrate how blockchain technology acts as incremental innovation, empowering the consumer-centric paradigm. Moreover, blockchain technology fosters disintermediation, aids in combatting click fraud, reinforces trust and transparency, enables enhanced privacy protection, empowers security, and enables creative loyalty programs. We present six propositions that will guide future blockchain-related research in the area of marketing.

The goal of green procurement, also called green purchasing, is to reduce waste and improve operational efficiencies to enhance sustainability. Although this practice has gained importance in recent years and garnered significant scholarly attention, there is a lack of bibliometric studies evaluating the green procurement field. To close this gap, we leverage bibliometrics to comprehensively summarize the literature and identify existing research hotspots and trends. Specifically, we employ bibliometric tools to analyze keywords, identify influential authors, universities, and research areas, and reveal the most important publications in terms of citations. The analysis shows that sustainable development, sustainability, green supply chain management, and green public procurement are core topics related to green procurement. The co-citation analysis further reveals five important research clusters in the literature, namely green public procurement, green supply chain management, green supplier selection and evaluation of green performance, networked sustainable procurement, and green procurement in the construction sector. This study makes a contribution to the green procurement literature by summarizing this quickly growing field and providing timely guidance as to future research directions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the tourism industry, with many destinations facing financial ruin. Technology could help to revitalize the industry by offering new business opportunities, including the tokenization of tourism assets. Tokenization is the process of converting a physical asset into a digital token such as NFTs, which can then be traded on a blockchain-based exchange. This allows investors to buy and sell fractional ownership of an asset, which can be a more affordable and accessible way to invest. This study explores the potential of NFTs to revitalize the tourism industry. We first provide an overview of tokenization, type of tokens, and its potential benefits for the tourism industry. We then present three theoretical perspectives that can be used to rigorously investigate the phenomenon of tokenization in the tourism industry. Finally, we discuss the challenges of tokenization, such as regulatory uncertainty and security risks.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how centralization and decentralization of supply chains (SCs) play a major role in creating organizational resilience.
Design/methodology/approach – Starting with the basic tenets of contingency theory and applying a grounded theory approach, results from exploratory qualitative and quantitative studies are combined to investigate the impact of (de)centralization on SC resilience capabilities.
Findings – The findings from a comprehensive literature review combined with two empirical surveys indicate that four important organizational capabilities are needed in order to cope with internal and external disruptions: fast reactions to unforeseen disturbances, reducing the number of negative external forces,
reducing the impact of negative external forces and the quick return to normal operating processes. Furthermore, it is illustrated how (de)centralization activities can support these capabilities and thus maximize the SC resilience.
Originality/value – This paper presents 12 measures for (de)centralization and shows how they can support the four major capabilities of resilient companies. The results from qualitative and quantitative surveys allow for a holistic understanding of the organization and provide a basis for future SC resilience research.
Keywords – Grounded theory, Survey, Europe, Centralization, Decentralization, Supply chain resilience, Empirical research, Contingency theory

Purpose – Field trips can change students’ attitudes and improve their learning performance, but they have rarely been investigated in logistics education research. This paper presents the findings from field trips that were designed to increase students’ knowledge of sustainable transport as well as to change their attitudes and behavioral intentions.

Design/Methodology – A total of 104 logistics students participated in this longitudinal panel study. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to test for significant effects.

Findings - Field trips build students’ knowledge, improve their attitudes and increase their behavioral intentions to use sustainable transport modes in the short and in the long term. Gains in knowledge exceed the results expected from traditional learning theories. Gender and school type are important moderating variables. Gender did not play an important role for knowledge gains, but for attitude and behavioral intentions.

Practical Implications - Field trips are an effective means for successful knowledge transfer and are suitable to trigger attitudinal and behavioral changes. The involvement of practitioners and the hands-on experience ensure that students combine theoretical with practical knowledge.

Research Limitations – More research is needed to generalize the findings to other populations and longitudinal panel studies are necessary a long-term effect of field trips.

Originality/ Value - This is the first longitudinal panel study that investigates the effects of logistics field trips, which were developed collaboratively by industry, educational and research institutions.

This study investigates the capabilities, performance outcomes, and barriers of drones applied to humanitarian logistics (HL). A systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize prior research on drones and cumulatively identify current knowledge gaps which require further investigation. In order to identify the relevant literature on the topic, a rigorous research protocol was applied for the retrieval and selection processes. In total, 142 publications fulfilled the selection criteria and were thoroughly analyzed. The findings of this review paper summarize the capabilities, barriers and performance outcomes of humanitarian drones applied to logistics operations, management, and governance in a comprehensive framework. More specifically, three important capabilities (i.e., transportation and delivery; surveying and monitoring; communication and integration), three performance outcomes (i.e., flexibility and responsiveness; cost reduction; sustainability) and adoption barriers in three areas (i.e., technology; organization; environment) were identified. Based on these findings, future research directions are derived for the capabilities of humanitarian drones, their performance outcomes, and their respective barriers. This study analyzes potential applications of drones in the humanitarian field and presents a comprehensive agenda that structures and guides further research on the topic.

The proper management of healthcare data is a complex endeavor that needs to balance the requirements and interests of many stakeholders. In this paper, we present the findings from a panel discussion with healthcare professionals and academics, who elaborate on the current situation in healthcare data management as well as the future role that blockchain could play in this sector. Based on the findings of this panel, we structure the research field of healthcare data management and provide numerous avenues for future research. The outcome is a framework that highlights the important role of healthcare data and puts them into context. From a patients’ perspective, we specifically elaborate on trust and privacy as well as the expected benefits. Additionally, four important data aspects are identified: integrity, security, interoperability and, finally, sharing and transfer. We also outline the importance of current problems and derive several relevant and timely research questions that build the foundation of a research agenda for blockchain-driven innovation in healthcare data management. In summary, the framework will make practitioners aware of blockchain’s potential in healthcare and structures the area for researchers, who are called upon to investigate the respective topics in more detail.

As a nascent area of study, gamification has attracted the interest of researchers in several fields, but little attention has been focused on creating a theoretical foundation for gamification research. The basic idea of gamification is to use game-like features in non-game contexts to motivate users and improve performance outcomes. As a boundary-spanning subject by nature, gamification has drawn the interest of scholars from diverse communities, including information systems, education, marketing, computer science, and business administration. To establish a theoretical foundation, it is important to clearly define and explain gamification in comparison with similar concepts and areas of research. Likewise, it is important to define the scope of the domain and develop a research agenda that explicitly takes into account the important role of theory. In this review article, we have set forth the pre-theoretical structures necessary for theory-building in this area. Accordingly, we engaged an interdisciplinary group of discussants to evaluate and select the most relevant theories for gamification. Moreover, we developed exemplary research questions to help create a research agenda for gamification. We conclude that using a multi-theoretical perspective in the creation of a research agenda should help and encourage IS researchers to take a lead role in this promising and emerging area.

Blockchain technology is a secure and distributed information accounting, storage and retrieval modality which has the ability to disrupt and revolutionize business practices. One such disruption resides in the capability of Blockchain to serve as a secure method for storing and sharing electronic medical records in new and innovative ways. Current medical record storage and transmission methods are proprietary and have interoperability and security problems. To that end, secure, effective and interoperable electronic records options are highly prized. This study uses a grounded theory approach to qualitative analysis of electronic medical records users in the United States to develop a perspective from industry and scholarly practice on the suitability of Blockchain technologies for electronic medical records security and storage.

In recent years, the concept of a circular economy (CE) has gained importance and attracted significant attention among scholars and practitioners. Research that examines the role of modern technologies in supporting the transition from a linear economy to the CE is therefore highly needed. This article analyzes and classifies existing research at the intersection of the CE and the Internet of Things (IoT), as an enabling technology. While studies on both concepts have proliferated, there is a lack of research that systematizes the literature and clarifies the relationship between the IoT and the CE. In order to achieve this, we reviewed a total of 170 academic articles published between 2007 and 2021 from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Based on the coding of keywords, four categories can be identified: (1) IoT-related technologies in the CE context, (2) enablers of IoT in the CE, (3) barriers to IoT adoption in the CE, and (4) the impacts of the IoT on the sustainability of (circular) economies. The current study is the first attempt to use a keyword coding approach to better understand IoT research in the CE domain. The review findings identify important drivers and enablers and provide a structured framework for research in this field. Finally, this study highlights several research directions that may provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

The energy use of Bitcoin is fiercely debated among academics, practitioners, and the general public. This debate is often biased and characterized by a lack of understanding. Therefore, I start this paper with a discussion of the fundamentals of Bitcoin, which includes the clarification of widely held misconceptions. Next, I illustrate how Bitcoin is related to energy and describe the underlying incentive mechanism. In the main body of the paper I discuss various components of Bitcoin’s energy use, including the amount, composition, and geographical distribution of the energy, as well as emerging positive and negative effects. These components are then combined into a comprehensive framework that provides a solid foundation for future academic research and presents practitioners with the big picture of how and why Bitcoin requires energy and whether this can be justified from an environmental point of view.

The aviation industry is searching for innovative solutions to boost its business in a sector that operates on a financial knife-edge driven by fierce competition. This paper seeks to identify how blockchain, an immutable and append-only data ledger, can impact the aviation industry. This study presents the results from 18 interviews with industry experts. Text mining and a thematic data analysis were combined to investigate the likelihood of the airline industry adopting a disruptive technology that has the potential to affect various stakeholders and replace current platforms. The connection between the key terms and emergent themes is visualised and discussed in detail. The current attitude as well as the expectations and uncertainties of the aviation industry towards blockchain are systematised. The five core topics determining the adoption of blockchain by the industry are specific adoption factors, the replacement of current centralised platforms, customer loyalty, adoption barriers and a general lack of awareness. All topics are discussed in detail, and concrete propositions for future academic research are put forward.

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence model, has garnered significant interest within education. This study examined public sentiment regarding ChatGPT's influence on education by utilizing web mining and natural language processing (NLP) techniques. By adopting an empirical approach and leveraging machine learning models to process 2,003 web articles, the study extracts valuable insights. The results indicate that ChatGPT has emerged as a crucial educational tool, offering advantages for both students and educators. Notably, the study emphasized ChatGPT's role in enhancing students' writing abilities and fostering dynamic, interactive learning environments. ChatGPT's capacity to address a broad spectrum of questions demonstrates its versatility and adaptability, contributing to more inclusive and personalized educational experiences. However, the study also uncovered challenges tied to academic integrity, such as plagiarism and cheating, which stem from incorporating AI-driven tools like ChatGPT into education. This raises concerns regarding ethical aspects, including responsible AI usage and data privacy, and highlights the need for institutions to develop guidelines and policies for AI tool implementation in education. This study's findings hold theoretical and practical implications for integrating ChatGPT into educational settings and is the first to employ web mining and NLP techniques to analyze public opinions on ChatGPT's impact on education comprehensively.

Public administration has to cope with a steadily growing workload and limited resources. The promises of blockchain and related technologies to alleviate this situation are manifold, but a dearth of academic literature exists that documents existing use cases and the lessons learned from them. In this case study we present the findings from a public administration use case conducted by the state government of South Tyrol in Northern Italy in cooperation with SAP. The project goal is to analyze the applicability of blockchain in the public sector. We find that exploiting the full potential of blockchain necessitates a complete rethinking of public management and bears the potential for a leaner and more service-oriented administration that reestablishes citizen trust in public institutions.

Open innovation and distributed ledger technology (DLT) are both based on the underlying principles of distribution and sharing. While open innovation is about sharing knowledge to improve innovation processes and performance, DLT is a distributed data ledger that is utilized to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure immutability, traceability, security, and transparency. In this paper, we investigate the barriers to open innovation currently faced by small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) that DLT can solve. To achieve this goal, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 experts in open innovation and DLTs from Spain, Germany, Australia, and India. The results of our exploratory study show that DLTs can help to solve several problems, including external barriers, such as problems with contracts, financing, lack of trust, raw materials, lack of information, domestic and international market limitations, IP rights, and governmental regulations as well as bureaucracy. Internal challenges include insufficient funding, organizational systems that are out of date, and lack of trust. When it comes to difficulties associated with the management of open innovation, external barriers are frequently caused by customers' demands, while internal barriers are frequently caused by organizational culture or human nature, which cannot be improved by DLTs. Finally, SMEs might face new obstacles when integrating DLTs, such as integration problems, complex transition phases, and high setup costs as well as problems with attracting and retaining qualified employees.

Instagram is a leading social network for information sharing and communication. Rigorous studies are missing that leverage bibliometric techniques to comprehensively portray the field. To fill this knowledge gap, this study carries out a holistic bibliometric and network analysis of Instagram research, illustrating the dynamic evolution from 2013 to 2021. On the basis of 2,242 publications from the Web of Science database, which were authored by 6,206 researchers, this study identifies the most prominent scholars and articles in the literature. Furthermore, it analyzes diverse bibliometric networks, such as citation, co-citation, collaboration and keyword co-occurrence networks, and presents two intellectual structure maps (i.e., conceptual structure map, thematic map). The results indicate that the number of academic studies about Instagram has been growing significantly over time and that the dominant topics are the psychological motivation of Instagram use, the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram marketing, social media platforms, and healthcare.

Blockchain has been touted as an enabler for sustainable innovations across many industries. In this chapter, we scrutinize this presumed positive impact by first elaborating on the core concepts: blockchain and sustainability. We then outline features of blockchain that can potentially yield positive sustainability outcomes and list several practical examples. We end this paper with five straightforward questions that can be used to critically assess any claimed impact of blockchain on sustainability.

This study examines how the application of the IoT in smart cities is discussed in the current academic literature. Based on bibliometric techniques, 1,802 articles were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed to identify the temporal nature of IoT research, the most relevant journals, authors, countries, keywords, and studies. The software tool VOSviewer was used to build the keyword co-occurrence network and to cluster the pertinent literature. Results show the significant growth of IoT research in recent years. The most productive authors, journals, and countries were also identified. The main findings from the keyword co-occurrence clustering and an in-depth qualitative analysis indicate that the IoT is used alongside other technologies including cloud computing, big data analytics, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and wireless telecommunication networks. The major applications of the IoT for smart cities include smart buildings, transportation, healthcare, smart parking, and smart grids. This review is one of the first attempts to map global IoT research in a smart city context and uses a comprehensive set of articles and bibliometric techniques to provide scholars and practitioners with an overview of what has been studied so far and to identify research gaps at the intersection of the IoT and the smart city.

Likert-type scales require individuals to choose between a limited number of choices, and have been criticized in the scholarly literature for causing loss of information, allowing the researcher to affect responses by determining the range, and being ordinal in nature. The use of online surveys allows for the easy implementation of continuous rating scales, which have a long history in psychophysical measurement but are rarely used in IS surveys. This type of measurement requires survey participants to express their opinion in a visual form. That not only solves the problems of information loss, but also allows for applying advanced robust statistical analyses. We use a real-world sample and a simulation to illustrate how noise impacts our data set. A noise level of 10% has only a small effect on both classical and robust estimates, but when 20% of noise is added, the classical estimators become severely distorted.

The Special Issue on Economic and Business Implications of Blockchain Technology contributes to current research by showcasing the variety of technologies, approaches, and applications that have emerged since the technology’s introduction a little more than a decade ago (Tumasjan, 2021). This Special Issue illustrates that the term “blockchain” has become an umbrella term encompassing different technologies and applications with the potential to fundamentally transform businesses and the economy as a whole.

Improvements in the Internet of Things (IoT) have allowed healthcare to evolve rapidly in recent years. This article summarizes previous studies on IoT applications in healthcare. A comprehensive review and bibliometric analysis were performed to objectively and analytically uncover the growth of IoT research as it pertains to healthcare. To begin, 2,990 journal articles were selected for the investigation. The publications were analyzed based on various bibliometric metrics, including publication year, journals, authors, institutions, and countries. Moreover, keyword co-occurrence and co-citation networks were generated to unravel the significant research hotspots and systematize the related literature. The findings show that IoT research had received considerable interest from the healthcare community. The leading journals and the most productive authors contributing to IoT research in healthcare were identified. Based on the results of the keyword co-occurrence network, IoT healthcare applications, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, 5G telecommunications, and data analytics and computing technologies were the main thematic contents of the reviewed sample. Additionally, the co-citation network analysis reveals other important themes, including authentication schemes, fog computing, cloud-IoT integration for disease prediction and diagnosis, and cognitive smart healthcare. Overall, the review offers scholars an increased understanding of the current status of IoT research in healthcare and the knowledge gaps for future research. The review can also be useful for healthcare professionals interested in staying updated on the latest developments and implementations of IoT in the healthcare sector. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of IoT healthcare research.

Recently, the food supply chain (FSC) has been severely disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting the vital flow of food products from farmers and producers to the ultimate consumers at risk. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, several food organizations have been prompted to rethink their strategies for the future. Although the literature on FSC research in the COVID-19 era is increasing, no attempt has been made to summarize this stream of research using bibliometric techniques. This paper fills this knowledge gap and looks at the current scholarly discourse around the FSC and COVID-19. Applying bibliometric techniques, 287 journal articles were extracted from Scopus and analyzed to determine the temporal evolution of FSC research, the most productive journals, researchers, countries, and the most relevant keywords and publications. To construct a keyword co-occurrence network and categorize the relevant literature, we used the computer program VOSviewer. The findings demonstrate the rapid expansion of FSC research during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the top authors, publications, and nations for scientific output were also determined. Keyword co-occurrence network and detailed qualitative analysis both illustrate the fact that FSC research revolves around six main themes: the impact of COVID-19 on the FSC and agriculture, FSC resilience, food waste and insecurity, fisheries and aquaculture, blockchain technology, and governance and innovation. This study represents the first effort to map worldwide FSC research in the COVID-19 era and draw on a comprehensive collection of journal articles and bibliometric approaches. It offers academics, practitioners, and decision-makers a snapshot of the state of the art in the FSC field and points to where further research is needed.

Information systems (IS) research frequently uses survey data to measure the interplay between technological systems and human beings. Researchers have developed sophisticated procedures to build and validate multi-item scales that measure latent constructs. The vast majority of IS studies uses classical test theory (CTT), but this approach suffers from three major theoretical shortcomings: (1) it assumes a linear relationship between the latent variable and observed scores, which rarely represents the empirical reality of behavioral constructs; (2) the true score can either not be estimated directly or only by making assumptions that are difficult to be met; and (3) parameters such as reliability, discrimination, location, or factor loadings depend on the sample being used. To address these issues, we present item response theory (IRT) as a collection of viable alternatives for measuring continuous latent variables by means of categorical indicators (i.e., measurement variables). IRT offers several advantages: (1) it assumes nonlinear relationships; (2) it allows more appropriate estimation of the true score; (3) it can estimate item parameters independently of the sample being used; (4) it allows the researcher to select items that are in accordance with a desired model; and (5) it applies and generalizes concepts such as reliability and internal consistency, and thus allows researchers to derive more information about the measurement process. We use a CTT approach as well as Rasch models (a special class of IRT models) to demonstrate how a scale for measuring hedonic aspects of websites is developed under both approaches. The results illustrate how IRT can be successfully applied in IS research and provide better scale results than CTT. We conclude by explaining the most appropriate circumstances for applying IRT, as well as the limitations of IRT.

Purpose:
Blockchain technology is predicted to revolutionize the tourism and hospitality industry through peer-to-peer hotel bookings with little or no involvement of intermediaries. Outstanding features of this technology are its distributed form of storing data, its collaborative way of identifying the “true state” of a system and the immutability of data. These features may lead to a perceived loss of controllability among travelers. Based on the Agentic Theory of Human Behavior, the purpose of this study is to propose that this assumed loss of control matters more to travelers with an individualistic rather than a collectivistic predisposition.
Design/methodology/approach:
In two studies ( n = 475 and n = 196) using verbal scenarios, this study manipulates the perceived controllability of a blockchain-enabled hotel booking app by varying the number of additional services linked to the app. This study tests for the interaction of controllability with individual-level measures of individualistic versus collectivistic (I-C) predisposition.
Findings:
Collectivistic travelers are more willing than individualistic travelers to use blockchain technology for their hotel bookings. This effect can be mitigated by offering additional services that give individualistic travelers an enhanced sense of “being in control”.
Practical implications:
Blockchain-enabled applications facilitating direct hotel bookings without any additional intermediary services are more readily accepted by travelers with a collectivistic mindset. Blockchain applications addressing individualistic travelers require added services that establish a sense of controllability.
Originality/value:
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate the interaction of I-C predisposition with perceived controllability in tourism and hospitality. Furthermore, it is the first in the technology-acceptance literature to test this interaction using individual-level measures of I-C predisposition and an experimental manipulation of perceived controllability.

Augmented reality presents numerous opportunities and challenges for marketers to enrich the retail shopping experience. Although the technology is well established, practical marketing applications are rare, and the existing literature is unstructured. We conduct a systematic literature review with the goal of synthesizing the latest developments in the field and developing research propositions. We analyze 91 papers and identify four major enablers of AR in retail marketing: enhancement of the consumer experience, improvement of the customer-brand relationship, support of marketing activities, and promotion of marketing competitiveness. The challenges of AR adoption in marketing include technical limitations, consumer-oriented challenges, technological immaturity, and organizational challenges.

Internet users tend to lack awareness when it comes to the amount of personal data they regularly disclose online. This causes discrepancies between their reported privacy attitudes and their actual privacy behavior, a phenomenon which has been labeled “privacy paradox”. They also calculate the subjective benefits and risks of disclosing personal data. In this context, blockchain technology acts as a double-edged sword when it comes to ensuring privacy. On the one hand, it allows storing data in an immutable way and creating systems which evoke Orwellian visions of intrusive governments overseeing and monitoring their most private decisions. On the other hand, blockchain technology holds the potential of giving privacy back into the hands of users. It allows them to determine which personal information they want to share and offers encryption technology to conceal the origin of data. The complexity of blockchain technology and its implications on privacy are hard to grasp for the average user. In the proposed research project, we therefore investigate how internet users, more specifically consumers, perceive the privacy impact of blockchain technology and how their attitudes and behaviors are shaped by the technology’s objective features as well as their subjective perceptions. We also scrutinize the role of media and peers in shaping disclosure attitude and behavior.

Purpose - This paper strives to close the current research gap pertaining to potential implications of the Blockchain for SCM by presenting a framework built on four established economic theories (principal agent theory, transaction cost analysis, resource-based view, network theory). 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 principal agent theory (PAT), transaction cost theory (TCA), resource-based view (RBV) and network theory (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 that 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 our knowledge, no academic papers are published in leading academic journals that investigate the relationship between SCM and Blockchain from a theory-based perspective.
Keywords: Blockchain, middle-range theorizing, principal agent theory, transaction cost analysis, resource-based view, network theory

Recently, there has been a spate of interest in how to find feasible applications for mobile devices. Compared with the great expectations in mobile applications, the actual acceptance rates of users both in commercial and private sectors lag far behind. This is especially true for Europe, whereas in other countries, such as Japan, companies like DoCoMo literally created their own demand. This paper suggests that, instead of pursuing a supply-oriented strategy, it would be better to look at the actual demands of potential users and develop products that would meet their needs. In doing so, we concentrated on the agricultural sector and analysed the needs of farmers and their willingness to adopt new technologies. A statistical analysis helped us to evaluate our findings and served as the basis for the creation of a set of possible applications that could help farmers to carry out their work more effectively and efficiently.

The digital transformation of core marketing activities substantially impacts relations between consumers and companies. Novel technologies are usually complex, making their underlying functionality as well as the desirable and undesirable implications hard to grasp for ordinary consumers. Cryptocurrencies are a prominent yet controversial and poorly understood example of an innovation that may transform companies’ future marketing activities. In this study, we investigate how easily consumers’ attitudes toward cryptocurrencies can be shaped by splitting a convenience sample of 100 consumers into two equal groups and exposing them to true, but biased, information about cryptocurrencies (including market forecasts), respectively, highlighting either the advantages or disadvantages of the technology. We subsequently found a significant difference in the trust, security and risk perceptions between the two groups; specifically, more positive attitudes pertaining to trust, security, risk and financial gains prevailed in the group exposed to positively-skewed information, while perceptions regarding trust, risk and the sustainability of cryptocurrencies were weaker among the group exposed to negatively-skewed information. These findings reveal some important insights into how easily consumer attitudes toward new technologies can be shaped through the presentation of lopsided information and call for further in-depth research in this important yet under-researched field.

Blockchain technology is predicted to become a powerful driver of marketing transformation. At present, most envisioned use cases are in an early stage with an uncertain industrial impact and an immature theoretical integration in academic research. To help close this research gap, we investigate how blockchain-based loyalty programs transform B2C relations through innovative customer services that bear important properties of a sharing economy. Specifically, we identify five potential advantages of blockchain-based programs over traditional loyalty programs pertaining to usage, accrual, relevance, expiration, and transferability. We then apply expectancy theory to assess consumers’ perceptions in two empirical studies, both of which reveal an overall preference for blockchain-based loyalty programs over traditional models: an analysis of 5,059 Twitter tweets detects more positive feedback for the blockchain-based program, and a survey of 206 consumers reveals a significantly more positive attitude toward the blockchain-based loyalty program with respect to accrual, relevance, expiration, and transferability.

Researchers in logistics and supply chain management apply a multitude of methods. So far, however, the potential of textual data science has not been fully exploited to automatically analyze large chunks of textual data and to extract relevant insights. Methods: In this paper, we use data from 19 qualitative interviews with supply chain experts and illustrate how the following methods can be applied: (1) word clouds, (2) sentiment analysis, (3) topic models, (4) correspondence anal-ysis, and (5) multidimensional scaling. Results: Word clouds show the most frequent words in a body of text. Sentiment analysis can be used to calculate polarity scores based on the sentiments that the respondents had in their interviews. Topic models cluster the texts based on dominating topics. Correspondence analysis shows the associations between the words being used and the respective managers. Multidimensional scaling allows researchers to visualize the similarities between the interviews and yields clusters of managers, which can also be used to highlight differences between companies. Conclusions: Textual data science can be applied to mine qualitative data and to extract novel knowledge. This can yield interesting insights that can supplement existing research ap-proaches in logistics and supply chain research.

Blockchain can enable small countries to overcome systemic constraints and strenghten their economies. Based on dynamic capabilities theory, we develop a conceptual framework that explores the applicability of blockchain for fostering economic development. Specifically, we postulate that the agent’s role in dynamic capabilities theory can be extended from the organisation level to the country level. Our proposed framework integrates blockchain as an economic driver and dynamic capabilities on higher-order and lower-order levels (i.e. business and investment development, human capital development, financial system enhancement, regulatory framework improvement, systems and infrastructure improvement) to show their impacts on different aspects of economic development. International regulatory and political factors serve as moderators that determine whether a national blockchain-based strategy will ultimately be successful. In summary, we llustrate how blockchain as an enabler of dynamic capabilities can contribute to a small country’s economic development.

The rapidly growing importance of blockchain technology has taken many scholars and industry professionals by surprise. Its emergence has sparked a multitude of innovative, yet largely untested use cases and business models that have the potential to substantially transform the marketing landscape. More specifically, blockchain as the base technology in combination with tokenization has the potential to fundamentally transform marketing communication by changing the ways in which companies and their customers interact. While academic research still ponders how blockchain can be best incorporated into existing research streams, the industry tests numerous ideas on a trial-and-error basis. Blockchains comprise a diverse array of complex and rapidly developing technological building blocks, which makes them hard to understand and integrate into existing marketing frameworks, models, and theories. In contrast, a specific focus on tokens facilitates understanding and classification. In this paper, we clarify the terminology surrounding the emerging token ecosystem from a marketing perspective, illustrate how tokens can potentially impact the marketing profession, and recommend approaches for their integration into academic research.

Blockchain-based technologies are predicted as major disruptors for numerous business applications and processes, which bears huge implications for e-commerce. Given the ability of blockchain and related technologies
to create so-called “trustless systems” with idiosyncratic properties, various business models and established processes that have emerged over the years to ensure trust, reliability and enforceability in business-to-consumer
(B2C), business-to-business (B2B), business-to-government (B2G) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C) relations need to be questioned and potentially adjusted. Blockchain has the potential to shake the foundation of ecommerce
by enabling exchange relations that are trustless and operate without dedicated intermediaries or even
central authorities in the case of permissionless blockchains. Furthermore, the exchange of information and value
between companies and consumers might change considerably by enabling unified access to immutable data
along the entire supply chain. In this paper, a framework and 19 high-level research questions are developed to
inspire researchers to closely investigate the potential impact of blockchain on e-commerce. The main categories
include (a) technological, (b) legal and (c) organizational and quality issues as well as (d) consumer issues. This
paper illustrates how blockchain potentially impacts different elements of e-commerce in these respective areas.

When creating Blockchain-Enabled Services (BCES) for consumers, service providers have to be aware of consumers’ privacy concerns. We argue that Blockchains are perceived ambivalently by consumers regarding privacy and that startup BCES companies will be affected differently by privacy concerns than established brands. On the one hand, consumers may perceive the decentralized nature of Blockchains as an inherent privacy risk due to potential data breaches. On the other hand, BCES provide consumers with the opportunity to escape data eco-systems of existing company networks, particularly when BCES are provided by a startup. We develop various hypotheses on the impact of privacy concerns on the acceptance of BCES. Using scenarios with BCES applications for international money transfer and hotel booking, we suggest an experimental design which manipulates the nature of the provider (startup versus established brand) and the amount of services provided.

“Scale purification” – the process of eliminating items from multi-item scales – is widespread in empirical research, but studies that critically examine the implications of this process are scarce. The goals of this research are threefold: (1) to discuss the methodological underpinning of scale purification, (2) to critically analyze the current state of scale purification in supply chain management (SCM) research, and (3) to provide suggestions for advancing the scale purification process.

To successfully introduce blockchain-enabled booking platforms in the tourism and hospitality industry, providers need to understand their target audiences. We present the results of a survey of 505 US consumers who, in a simulated hotel booking scenario for a leisure trip, picked between traditional Online Travel Agencies (OTA) and a blockchain-enabled booking app with varying degrees of services, discounts, and brand recognition. We find that blockchain-enabled booking apps that meet the following three conditions could attract up to half of the market: (1) offer discounts over OTAs, (2) provide services which go beyond mere booking, and (3) have well-known brand names. In a series of three nested logistic regressions, we investigate the impact of demographic, psychographic, and service-related traveler characteristics. We find that early adopters of blockchain-enabled hotel booking platforms will be young and highly educated. Potential cost savings over OTAs will also attract travelers with lower incomes and from larger households. Other traveler characteristics that facilitate adoption include a high preparedness to take risks, high IT innovativeness, prior familiarity with blockchain technology, and, mediated through IT innovativeness, a high Generalized Sense of Power. Male travelers are more likely than female travelers to be early adopters due to their higher familiarity with blockchain technology.

Similar to the Internet several decades ago, Blockchain technology is expected to become a highly disruptive technology that will presumably impact society and economy alike. In this paper we present various scenarios as to how Blockchain might affect the future of work. We build on Self-Determination Theory, which takes into account different types of human needs and motivations, as a theoretical framework. We conducted 24 qualitative interviews with Blockchain experts and created three different scenarios that outline potential future developments. The experts’ opinions range from predicting no significant impact of Blockchain on the work environment toward substantial changes that can have both beneficial and adverse consequences for the work force. In this chapter we detail the three scenarios and further illustrate Blockchain’s potential implications for basic human needs in the context of the future of work.

The onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a major crisis that has severely impacted numerous economic, environmental, and social aspects of human life. During the pandemic, the potential of the circular economy (CE) has gained increasing attention as a prospective remedy for numerous sustainability problems. This systematic literature review charts CE research in the COVID-19 era. To this end, 160 journal articles were selected from the Scopus database. The performance indicators of the literature were determined and described through a bibliometric analysis. Moreover, the conceptual structure of CE research was identified via a keyword co-occurrence network.
Based on bibliographic coupling, the focus of CE research in the COVID-19 era revolves mainly around five thematic areas, including: (1) waste management; (2) digitalization and sustainable supply chain management; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on food systems; (4) sustainable development goals, smart cities, and bioeconomy; and (5) closed-loop supply chains. Overall, this review contributes to enriching the literature by determining the main thematic areas and future research directions that can help to advance the transition to the CE and reduce the impact of COVID-19 and similar disasters in the future.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present competing risks models and show how dwell
times can be applied to predict users’ online behavior. This information enables real-time personalization of
web content.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper models transitions between pages based upon the dwell time
of the initial state and then analyzes data from a web shop, illustrating how pages that are linked “compete”
against each other. Relative risks for web page transitions are estimated based on the dwell time within a
clickstream and survival analysis is used to predict clickstreams.

Findings – Using survival analysis and user dwell times allows for a detailed examination of transition behavior
over time for different subgroups of internet users. Differences between buyers and non-buyers are shown.
Research limitations/implications – As opposed to other academic fields, survival analysis has only
infrequently been used in internet-related research. This paper illustrates how a novel application of this
method yields interesting insights into internet users’ online behavior.

Practical implications – A key goal of any online retailer is to increase their customer conversation rates.
Using survival analysis, this paper shows how dwell-time information, which can be easily extracted from
any server log file, can be used to predict user behavior in real time. Companies can apply this information to
design websites that dynamically adjust to assumed user behavior.

Originality/value – The method shows novel clickstream analysis not previously demonstrated.
Importantly, this can support the move from web analytics and “big data” from hype to reality.

Keywords E-commerce, Survival analysis, Online retailing, Clickstream analysis, Competing risks models,
Dwell-time analysis

» The digitalization of the tourism and hospitality sector is a continuing evolution that transforms core business processes, market structures, and customer experiences. In this regard, blockchain is an important technological driver that can substantially change the ways in which existing and new service providers in this sector interact among themselves and with their customers.
» With its service orientation, the tourism and hospitality sector was hit particularly hard by COVID-19. International tourist arrivals have plummeted, and numerous lockdowns have reduced overnight stays, restaurant visits, and event planning and management. Blockchain-based applications may pave the way for alternative business models that can mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic.
» Blockchain applications can improve the efficiency of core business processes in the tourism and hospitality sector, including payments, reservations and ticketing, location tracking, identity management, and information sharing within supply chains. They can also transform customer relationships via decentralized booking systems, loyalty programs, and verifiable reviews. Start-ups and incumbents have opportunities to deliver these services.
» The market structures of the tourism and hospitality sector are changing. In recent years powerful online travel agencies (OTAs), web-based marketplaces that enable consumers to search for and book travel-related services, have accumulated substantial market power. Blockchain, as a distributed ledger, disrupts existing power structures by enabling peer-to-peer services. Current intermediaries may also adapt their business models by integrating blockchain-based services.
» The creation of virtual realities and the easy transfer of digital assets between peers in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) present new business prospects for decision makers who seize the opportunity and can capitalize on their existing competencies. Offering tourism-related services and products in the metaverse presents an alternative revenue stream that necessitates rethinking how the sector does business.

Previous research on e-commerce has analysed its influence on organisational structure, brand management, and IT structure separately. Drawing on transaction cost theory we analyse the simultaneous impacts of business-to-consumer (B2C) e commerce on organisational structure, brand architecture, and IT structure. The results of a survey among 49 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and 49 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of 64 out of the 100 most important consumer brand companies in Austria show that the amount of change in all three structural elements increases as the importance they attach to B2C e commerce grows. Furthermore, the amount of change in brand architecture and organisational structure as well as the amount of change in brand architecture and IT structure are significantly linked to each other even after controlling for the importance of B2C e commerce. Mixed results were found for the hypothesis that higher levels of importance of B2C e commerce enhance the dependence of the marketing-related IT structure on changes in brand architecture.

This study explores how blockchain technology can transform education with a special focus on the social inclusion of students with limited access to educational resources and those who are typically designated as unreachable. We conduct a systematic content analysis of the existing literature on blockchain to identify factors that influence its adoption and use in education. The findings reveal seven important themes at the macro-level, namely, (1) future of education, (2) technology in use, (3) trust and change, (4) educational impact, (5) technological challenges, (6) teaching style, and (7) privacy and security.
At the micro-level, we identify three thematic clusters, namely, (1) individual, (2) institution, and (3) instrument. These themes structure the further exploration of how blockchain can impact education management and development to improve
educational quality, accessibility, social inclusion, and equality.

This paper explores the dynamics between value-added services, intermediary brands, and consumer privacy concerns in shaping attitudes toward blockchain-enabled consumer services. Grounded in the Antecedents-Privacy Concerns-Outcomes (APCO) framework, we develop a theoretical model that we test in three experimental studies with a total of 1,613 participants, utilizing verbal scenarios featuring blockchain applications for international money transfer and hotel booking. Our research reveals that complete disintermediation via pure peer-to-peer blockchain transactions is unlikely. Consumers prefer blockchain applications offering supplementary services like call centers, password assistance, and cancellation options. As consumers become familiar with blockchain technology, privacy concerns intensify due to its distributed and immutable storage. The fears of data breaches are more pronounced when blockchain applications are offered by unknown startups as opposed to well-known Big Tech companies. However, privacy-conscious consumers also value the prospect of distancing themselves from big-data ecosystems by embracing blockchain solutions from startups. Our research extends the APCO framework by clarifying how privacy concerns, brand-based heuristics, and technological attributes interact. For managerial implications, blockchain applications necessitate re-intermediation to meet consumer preferences. Potential intermediaries, including Big Tech firms, startups, and industry incumbents, face unique challenges in developing and marketing blockchain-enabled consumer services.

In this chapter we use Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory to explain private individuals’ willingness to buy cryptocurrencies. Following Herzberg’s classification, we label five factors (trust, security, privacy, absence of risk, sustainability) as hygiene factors that must be present to avoid dissatisfaction. The expectation of financial gains is the main motivator for cryptocurrency buyers, as its realization generates satisfaction. We illustrate the importance of the respective factors to individuals and show that such perceptions are easily influenced.

The TikTok platform has become widely popular among younger generations and has influenced various industries and aspects of life. This systematic literature review, using bibliometric methods, aims to examine the evolution of TikTok research from its initial development to its current status. A total of 402 journal articles from 2019 to 2022 were systematically selected from the Web of Science Core Collection. Descriptive statistical analysis identified the most contributing academic institutions, nations, journals, scholars, and influential studies. Using CiteSpace, three visualization types were implemented: cluster views, timezone views, and timeline views. The study results indicate that several TikTok research clusters exist, which summarize important topics such as the platform’s overall impact on society, politics, culture, as well as human-centric issues such as social attachment, functional tics, and their implications for public health. According to the co-word analysis, TikTok research revolves around body consciousness, social behavior, consumer behavior, and news media. The comprehensive mapping of TikTok research provides valuable insights into the current state of knowledge and identifies numerous relevant technical and social areas for future investigation. As the first bibliometric review of TikTok research, this study offers an important foundation for future scholarly inquiry in various areas.

This study examines the potentials and challenges of drones, or
unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs), in supply chain management
(SCM) and logistics. A systematic literature review was performed to
capture the dynamics surrounding drones and to provide a timely and
comprehensive overview of what has been studied so far and what
needs to be investigated in the future. 55 publications were selected
and thoroughly analysed. The findings of this study illustrate that the
potential strengths of applying drones in SCM and logistics are: (1)
support of humanitarian logistics, (2) reduced delivery time, (3) reduced
cost, (4) improved flexibility, and (5) increased sustainability. In addition,
the challenges posed by drones in SCM and logistics are grouped into
technical, organisational, safety-related, and regulatory issues. This
study also investigates real-life drone deployments in SCM and logistics
and sets forth an agenda for future research.

Engineering smart contracts for trustless, append-only, and decentralized digital ledgers allows mutually distrustful parties to transform legal requirements into immutable and formalized rules. We present an integrated process model for engineering blockchain-based smart contracts, which explicitly accounts for the immutability of the trustless, append-only, and decentralized digital ledger ecosystem and overcomes several limitations of traditional software engineering process models. Applying such a model when engineering smart contracts will help software engineers and developers to streamline and better understand the overall engineering process of decentralized digital ledgers in general and the blockchain in particular.

Not at all did I expect the huge amount of positive and constructive feedback that I received on my short paper on Paul Feyerabend’s philosophy which was published in issue 49(2) of the DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems. More than two decades after his death, his provocative ideas are apparently still capable of triggering an inspiring academic debate. In this paper I will comment on the thoughtful rejoinders from Burton-Jones, Gregor and Myers. I will also outline why, in spite of their well-founded criticism, I still believe that Feyerabendian thinking is most appropriate for IS research: Much more so than Popperian or Kuhnian. I will illustrate my reasoning by referring to several experiences with the academic double-blind peer review process. I will not only criticize academia’s existing deficiencies, but also suggest a potential cure. My universal remedy is based on Feyerabend’s philosophy of relativism, tolerance and pluralism, which he not so cleverly disguised as anarchism. Recently, Chua et al. (2018) suggested changes in the rules of our academic review system. I do not aim at the system, but rather at the underlying mindset. If we allow him, Feyerabend can help us with that.

The growing energy consumption of Bitcoin is caused by its proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm, which is an essential component of the Nakamoto consensus. So-called miners need to deploy highly specialized hardware to solve a cryptographic puzzle and the first one who manages to do so receives a specific amount of the cryptocurrency bitcoin as a reward. As of 2022, the energy that is used to create new blocks and secure the network surpasses the energy consumption of several countries. In this talk I summarize the current academic literature as well as the public media coverage of Bitcoin’s energy use, discuss alternatives to PoW and scrutinize conflicting opinions on this matter. I clarify the question whether this amount of energy is actually needed, if the protocol can apply a different form of consensus and if the demand will continue to grow. Additionally, I juxtapose numerous positive and negative effects that result from Bitcoin’s energy use and strive to answer the question whether this use of energy can be justified. I end the presentation with an outlook on how Bitcoin can potentially evolve and what role its energy consumption plays for its future development.

Medical tourism has witnessed significant growth over the last decade. By combining healthcare services with tourism and hospitality, this nascent sector creates a new tourist class with access to affordable healthcare services. Information technology is an essential factor, which can enable the growth of medical tourism. Technology enables the search process for information about the available services, costs, hospitality, tourism and post-treatment options. However, these technologies are primarily legacy systems and lack interoperability. Several questions arise, including the ability of the potential patient-tourist to verify crucial factors such as the quality of care and the credentials of the medical professionals and medical facilities. Moreover, questions arise regarding patient-doctor trust, procedure and risk transparency‚ medical record privacy and other health-related hazards in specific procedures. In this conceptual paper, we investigate the potential benefits of Blockchain technology to address some of the open questions in medical tourism. We conclude that Blockchain technology can benefit medical tourism, and we lay the foundation for future research.

In this paper, we use the widely popular business model canvas, which was previously adapted for the blockchain environment, to assess the experiences and perceptions of Slovenian small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) pertaining to blockchain technologies. The results reveal that SMEs expect applications built on blockchain technologies to have a highly positive effect on numerous aspects of their business model. This positive evaluation is even stronger among companies that already have experience with blockchain technologies.

Never in history have global supply-chain relationships in high-tech electronics firms been more sophisticated, complicated, and almost always tied in some major aspect to China. The setting makes interorganizational (IO) cooperation in a cross-cultural context, infused with Chinese culture and relationships, which absolutely crucial for global organizations to understand to have success in this environment. Ironically, although China is now more involved in this global supply chain than any other country in the world, this context is highly understudied, and most of the supply-chain literature is fundamentally rooted in a Western perspective and with data from Western countries and companies. This gap creates serious blind spots in theory, research, and policy, and leads to the research question driving this study: How does IO cooperation influence supplier performance in the context of China’s high-tech hardware components industry? In this context, we thus examines how IO cooperation impacts performance and what role information technology (IT) integration and relationship learning play in the value-creation process for suppliers in business-to-business (B2B) supply chains. In examining these two dimensions, this study proposes a model that differentiates between a supplier’s performances regarding (a) its major customer and (b) the general market. The researchers conducted in-depth face-to-face interviews with supply chain managers and executives from 1,004 Chinese high-tech electronic component suppliers. The results strongly support the hypothesis that IO cooperation improves a supplier’s performance regarding both its major customer and overall marketplace. Relationship learning and IT integration are important mediating variables that drive performance. This study makes notable contributions to the literature by simultaneously testing the influences of IO cooperation, relationship learning, and IT integration on supplier performance. A unique aspect of this study is that it focuses on a very large sample of a specific supplier type—high-tech Chinese suppliers. This combined with the fact that the sampled companies were involved in manufacturing 13 different product groups, greatly increases the generalizability of the results. The strongest effect in our study was the influence of IO cooperation on relationship learning.

Smart contracts are seen as the major building blocks for future autonomous blockchain- and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)-based applications. Engineering such contracts for trustless, append-only, and decentralized digital ledgers allows mutually distrustful parties to transform legal requirements into immutable and formalized rules. Previous experience shows this to be a challenging task due to demanding socio-technical ecosystems and the specificities of decentralized ledger technology. In this paper, we therefore develop an integrated process model for engineering DLT-based smart contracts that accounts for the specificities of DLT. This model was iteratively refined with the support of industry experts. The model explicitly accounts for the immutability of the trustless, append-only, and decentralized DLT ecosystem, and thereby overcomes certain limitations of traditional software engineering process models. More specifically, it consists of five successive and closely intertwined phases: conceptualization, implementation, approval, execution, and finalization. For each phase, the respective activities, roles, and artifacts are identified and discussed in detail. Applying such a model when engineering smart contracts will help software engineers and developers to better understand and streamline the engineering process of DLTs in general and blockchain in particular. Furthermore, this model serves as a generic framework which will support application development in all fields in which DLT can be applied.

Purpose
Academics and practitioners have long acknowledged the potential of multi-agent systems (MAS) to automate and autonomize decision-making in logistics and supply chain networks. Despite the manifold promises of MAS, industry adoption is lagging behind, and the exact benefits of these systems remain unclear. This study fills this knowledge gap by analyzing 11 specific MAS use cases, highlighting their benefits, clarifying how they can help enhance logistics network resilience, and identifying existing barriers.

Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage Delphi study was conducted with 18 industry experts. In the first round, these experts identified 11 use cases of MAS and their potential benefits, as well as any barriers that could hinder their adoption. In the second round, they assessed the identified use cases with regard to their potential to enhance logistics network resilience and improve organizational productivity. Furthermore, they estimated the complexity of MAS implementation. In the third round, the experts reassessed their evaluations in light of the evaluations of the other study participants.

Findings
This study proposes 11 specific MAS use cases and illustrates their potential for increasing logistics network resilience and enhancing organizational performance due to autonomous decision-making in informational processes. Furthermore, this study discusses important barriers for MAS, such as lack of standardization, insufficient technological maturity, soaring costs, complex change management, and a lack of existing use cases. From a theoretical perspective, it is shown how MAS can contribute to resilience research in supply chain management.

Practical implications
The identification and assessment of diverse MAS use cases informs managers about the potential of this technology and the barriers that need to be overcome.

Originality
This study fills a gap in the literature by providing a thorough and up-to-date assessment of the potential of MAS for logistics and supply chain management. This is the first study to investigate the relevance of MAS for logistics network resilience using the Delphi method.

Blockchain technologies are predicted to substantially transform the
tourism industry. At present, cryptocurrencies are the most advanced
application of public blockchains that promise benefits such as a
universal means of payment and minimal fees through the removal of
intermediaries. In the tourism industry, though many tourism vendors
have been accepting cryptocurrencies and the potential of using
cryptocurrencies in travel-related consumption has been intensively
documented, existing knowledge about travellers’ intention to use
cryptocurrencies for payment purposes is limited. Traditional models do
not account for the idiosyncrasies of cryptocurrencies and are therefore
less appropriate to foster the understanding of travellers’ adoption of
travel-related payments. To fill this knowledge gap, an exploratory
study was conducted with 161 travellers from the Asia-Pacific region
who have previously consumed travel-related services with
cryptocurrencies. Their previous usage experiences are analysed and
reported. Through harnessing the correspondence analysis, several
technological contingency factors were identified, as well as positive
and negative perceptual antecedents. Additionally, their levels of
satisfaction and intention to re-use the technology in future trips were
investigated. Based on these findings, several propositions are
suggested for guiding future research on travellers’ cryptocurrency
adoption in the travel and tourism contexts.

Recently there has been a renewed interest in formative measurement and its role in properly specified models. Formative measurement models are difficult to identify, and hence to estimate and test. Existing solutions to the identification problem are shown to not adequately represent the formative constructs of interest. We propose a new two-step approach to operationalize a formatively measured construct that allows a closely matched common factor equivalent to be included in any structural equation model. We provide an artificial example and an original empirical study of privacy to illustrate our approach. Detailed proofs are given in an appendix.