Demystifying the impact of blockchain on trust in emerging and established relationships: A case of organic food supply chains

Abstract

The blockchain as a trustworthy technology is believed to help reinforce inter-organizational trust when being implemented in supply chains. However, most of previous literature examined this conceptually and focused on established relationships. This study aims to fill the gaps by conducting an empirical case study to examine the impact of blockchain usage on inter-organizational trust development in both emerging and established relationships within organic food supply chains. The findings suggest that suppliers can use blockchain to signal their trustworthiness to potential and new buyers in the early stages of their partnerships. The supplier’s brand credibility, the credibility of information verified by a third party, and openness in information sharing are indicated as blockchain-inspired trustworthiness signals that facilitate buyers’ trust. Conversely, blockchain usage shows limited impact on established relationships. This study offers implications to research and practice in enhancing the current understanding of the impact of blockchain on inter-organizational trust.