Track: Sustainability in Supply Chain, Enterprise Operations and Strategies

Abstract

Blockchain technology, as a distributed digital ledger with the features of transparency, traceability, and security, has the potential to contribute considerably to sustainable supply-chain management (SSCM) activities within enterprises and may already be used to achieve this in some instances. To gain an understanding of the importance of blockchain technologies in the implementation of SSCM, this study conducted an extensive literature review before investigating the ScienceDirect database of articles on SSCM and blockchain. The study used bibliometric and content analysis to analyze the ScienceDirect SSCM and blockchain publications and reveal their intellectual structure and publishing patterns. Findings were that the field of blockchain and SSCM is still emerging and the number of articles published in the field is growing swiftly in both developed and developing countries. Decision science; computer science; business management and accounting; economics; econometrics and finance; energy; engineering; environmental science; social science; and multi-disciplinary fields were found to be the areas in which the SSCM and blockchain are discussed within the ScienceDirect journals. The articles reviewed were published from 2018 to 2023. It was found that even though blockchain technologies are still in their early stage and developing in the space of supply-chain management, these technologies can play a vital role in executing SSCM activities.