Categorizing transaction costs outcomes under uncertainty : a blockchain perspective for government organizations

Purpose: In response, the purpose of this paper is to provide theoretical frameworks about the organizational uncertainty behind what and when to adopt blockchain technology and their implications on transaction costs. The immature nature and the absence of standards in blockchain technology lead to uncertainty in government organizations concerning the adoption (“what to adopt”) and the identification of the right time (“when to start”). Design/methodology/approach: Using transaction cost theory and path dependency theory, this paper proposes two frameworks: to assess transaction cost risks and opportunities costs; and to depict four different types of transaction costs outcomes regarding blockchain adoption. Findings: This paper identifies various theoretical concepts that influence blockchain adoption and combine the two critical constructs of “bounded rationality” and the “lock-in effect” to categorize the multiple transaction costs outcomes for blockchain adoption. Research limitations/implications: Although existing research in blockchain highlights mainly the potential benefits of blockchain applications, only a little attention has been given to frameworks that categorize potential transaction costs outcomes under uncertainty, in particular from organizational theorists. Originality/value: Both frameworks advance the understanding of the decision-making behind blockchain adoption and synthesize the current literature to offer conceptual clarity regarding the varied implications and outcomes linked to the uncertainty regarding transactions costs stemming from blockchain technology.</p

Towards a Data Classification Model for Circular Product Life Cycle Management

Nowadays, due to the limited availability of resources, the adoption of sustainable practices is gaining importance, especially while dealing with the manufacturing sector that is considered one of the most resource greedy sectors. To cope with this issue, a new sustainable and industrial economy, called “circular economy” arisen. The diffusion of this economy can be eased by the advance management of data and information. Nevertheless, from the extant literature emerged some criticalities regarding information management flows while dealing with circular economy strategies adoption. Indeed, the present work aims to first identify the main criticalities in information management while adopting circular economy principles, and second to investigate the decisions, and the related data and information required to make these decisions, that manufacturers have to undertake to enable the circular product life cycle management. To achieve this goal, the present work relies on the scientific literature. This choice enables to grasp the widespread knowledge developed by scholars about these concepts, by individualizing the main decisions that should be taken by the company internal stakeholders, to manage circular products, being affected by external stakeholders’ behaviours and decisions along product life cycle. Therefore, this work aims to support circular product life cycles management and, this objective has been achieved through the development of a data classification model