PurposeThe deployment of blockchain technology (BT) throughout the supply chain is usually led by large firms that dominate the supply chain. Leading firms can encourage other resource-constrained partners to get on board by providing technical and financial support. However, due to the uncertain consequences of relying on leading firms, these partners may still be reluctant to adopt BT. Drawing on resource dependence theory, this study aims to investigate whether and when supply chain alignment can be used as a dependency coping strategy to increase the willingness of resource-constrained partners to adopt BT. Moreover, it aims to examine the motivators for supply chain alignment.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a survey research design and collected data from 364 small and medium-sized enterprises in China.FindingsSupply chain alignment positively affects BT adoption. The effect of supply chain alignment on BT adoption is contingent on guanxi (a Chinese cultural tradition of interpersonal connections that facilitate a mutual exchange of favors). Relative advantage, technology complexity, organizational readiness and cost are motivators for supply chain alignment. Supply chain alignment mediates the effect of cost, technology complexity and relative advantage on BT adoption.Originality/valueThis research addresses the problem of resource dependency in the context of BT adoption which has been overlooked by previous research. Moreover, this paper enriches the BT literature by identifying supply chain alignment as an important channel for technology–organization–environment factors to influence BT adoption.

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Modern food supply chain involves numerous stakeholders that are geographically dispersed. This scattered and complex structure impedes the free flow of information throughout the supply chain. Low transparency lays the groundwork for food fraud and delays the implementation of necessary countermeasures when a food contamination incident occurs. Moreover, customers nowadays are increasing demanding in terms of product provenance and sustainability. Under this circumstance, it is urgent to identify effective solutions that can mitigate the concerns of food safety, quality, and fraud. Blockchain has been identified as a promising technology for enabling end-to-end supply chain traceability. This study investigates the main challenges of agri-food supply chain and how blockchain attributes can address these challenges. We also propose an integrative framework of key factors that influence blockchain adoption in the food industry.