Blockchain in Enterprise Solutions: Assessing the Suitability of Blockchain for Corporate Sustainability Reporting

The aim of this master’s thesis was to assess the suitability of blockchain technology as enterprise solution for corporate sustainability reporting through evaluating the technological properties and enterprise use-cases of blockchain technology and challenges in corporate sustainability reporting. Furthermore, a special focus on literature review was to demystify the properties of blockchain technology that provide its most well-known qualities. In this thesis, blockchain technology was assessed through a review of prior literature, and the current state of corporate sustainability reporting was mainly evaluated through data collected in expert interviews. Blockchain technology has been found to have potential as an enterprise solution for a large number of corporate functions, such as supply chain management and accounting. Global corporations have publicly announced to be piloting with the technology in recent years. However, a level of technological abstraction prohibits the visibility of how the technology is concretely improving existing processes. Prior research exists on both levels, on high-level enterprise use-cases and technological deep dives, but rarely together. Corporate sustainability reporting is becoming more harmonised and standardized due to EU regulations such as the corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD) and EU Taxonomy. Corporations subject to the regulations are facing challenges in sourcing and managing the data required for compliant reporting. For blockchain implementations in corporate sustainability reporting, prior research is very limited and research including a more detailed technological evaluation of blockchain does not seem to exist to the knowledge of this thesis. This thesis fills a gap in the literature by providing in-depth insights into the suitability of blockchain technology for enterprise solutions, with a specific focus on sustainability reporting. Unlike previous studies that primarily address high-level concepts, this research offers a comprehensive explanation of blockchain basics, catering to readers who may not be familiar with the technology. Furthermore, given the novelty of sustainability reporting solutions, it is crucial to explore alternative options beyond traditional systems. The main findings of this thesis validated the presumed challenges corporations face in accustoming to the new sustainability regulation and highlighted the need for efficient IT solutions to manage the vast amounts of data points and insights required for compliant reporting. While blockchain-based solutions certainly have the potential to streamline and manage the reporting process, no indications of advantages over more traditional systems built on shared databases were found. Rather, this thesis highlighted the very specific advantages and use-cases blockchain technology currently has over traditional data management solutions, which are not currently relevant in the case of corporate sustainability reporting. As both enterprise blockchains and corporate sustainability reporting systems continue to evolve and mature, this research emphasizes the need for a fresh perspective and deeper examination of the topic. By shedding light on the challenges faced by corporations in adapting to new sustainability regulations and evaluating the potential of blockchain technology as an enterprise solution for sustainability reporting, this thesis offers valuable insights and calls for further exploration in this rapidly evolving field.Tämän pro gradu -tutkielma tavoitteena oli arvioida lohkoketjuteknologian soveltuvuutta teknologiaratkaisuksi yritysten kestävyysraportointiin arvioimalla lohkoketjuteknologian teknologisia ominaisuuksia sekä yrityskäyttötapauksia, että yritysten kestävyysraportoinnin haasteita. Lisäksi kirjallisuuskatsaukseen keskityttiin erityisesti lohkoketjuteknologian ominaisuuksien esittelemiseen, jotka ovat sen tunnetuimpien ominaisuuksien takana. Tässä tutkielmassa lohkoketjuteknologiaa arvioitiin kirjallisuuskatsauksen avulla, ja yritysten kestävän kehityksen raportoinnin nykytilaa arvioitiin pääasiassa asiantuntijahaastatteluissa kerätyn tiedon avulla. Lohkoketjuteknologialla on todettu olevan potentiaalia yritysratkaisuna monissa yritystoiminnoissa, kuten toimitusketjujen hallinnassa ja kirjanpidossa. Suuret globaalit yritykset ovat viime vuosina julkisesti ilmoittaneet pilotoivansa teknologiaa. Teknologinen abstraktiotaso estää kuitenkin usein suoraan näkemästä, miten lohkoketjuteknologia todellisuudessa parantaa nykyisiä prosesseja. Aiempaa tutkimusta on tehty molemmilla tasoilla, sekä korkean tason yrityskäyttötapauksista, että teknologian syvemmistä tasoista, mutta harvoin yhdessä. Yritysten kestävän kehityksen raportointi on yhdenmukaistumassa ja standardisoitumassa EU:n säädösten, kuten yritysten kestävän kehityksen raportointia koskevan direktiivin (CSRD) ja EU taksonomian ansiosta. Säädösten piiriin kuuluvilla yrityksillä on haasteita vaatimustenmukaiseen raportointiin tarvittavien tietojen hankinnassa ja hallinnassa. Lohkoketjutoteutuksia yritysten kestävän kehityksen raportointia varten on tutkittu hyvin vähän, eikä tämän tutkielman tietämyksen mukaan näytä olevan olemassa tutkimusta, joka myös sisältäisi lohkoketjujen yksityiskohtaisemman teknologisen arvioinnin. Tämä tutkielma täyttää kirjallisuudessa olevan aukon tarjoamalla syvällistä tietoa lohkoketjuteknologian soveltuvuudesta yritysratkaisuihin keskittyen erityisesti kestävän kehityksen raportointiin. Toisin kuin aiemmissa tutkimuksissa, joissa käsitellään pääasiassa korkean tason käsitteitä, tämä tutkimus tarjoaa kattavan selityksen lohkoketjun perusteista, mikä palvelee lukijoita, jotka eivät ehkä tunne teknologiaa. Lisäksi kestävyysraportointiratkaisujen uutuuden vuoksi on tärkeää tutkia vaihtoehtoja perinteisten järjestelmien lisäksi. Tämän tutkielman tärkeimmät tulokset vahvistivat haasteet, joita yritykset kohtaavat kestävyysraportointiprosesseissaan, ja korostivat tehokkaiden tietoteknisten ratkaisujen tarvetta, jotta voidaan tehokkaammin hallita raportointiin vaadittua määrää informaatiota. Vaikka lohkoketjupohjaisilla ratkaisuilla on varmasti potentiaalia virtaviivaistaa raportointiprosessia, ei havaittu mitään viitteitä siitä, että niillä olisi etuja verrattuna perinteisempiin jaettuihin tietokantoihin perustuviin järjestelmiin. Pikemminkin tässä tutkimuksessa nousi esiin viitteitä siitä, että lohkoketjuteknologialla ei ole tällä hetkellä perinteisiin tiedonhallintaratkaisuihin verrattuna merkittäviä etuja yritysjärjestelminä, etenkään kestävyysraportoinnin piirissä

Effects of Acute Loading Induced Fatigability, Acute Serum Hormone Responses and Training Volume to Individual Hypertrophy and Maximal Strength during 10 Weeks of Strength Training

This study investigated whether a strength training session-induced acute fatigue is related to individuals’ strength training adaptations in maximal force and/or muscle hypertrophy, and whether acute responses in serum testosterone (T) and growth hormone (GH) concentrations during the training sessions would be associated with individual neuromuscular adaptations. 26 males completed the 10-week strength-training intervention, which included fatiguing dynamic leg press acute loading bouts (5 x 10 RM) at weeks two, four, six, and ten. Blood samples were collected before and after the loading and after 24h of recovery for serum T, GH, and cortisol (C) concentrations at weeks 2, 6, and 10. The cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis was measured by ultrasonography. Isometric force measurements were performed before and immediately after loadings, and loading-induced acute decrease in maximal force was reported as the fatigue percentage. The subjects were split into three groups according to the degree of training-induced muscle hypertrophy after the training period. Increases in isometric force were significant for High Responders (HR, n = 10) (by 24.3 % ± 17.2, p = 0.035) and Medium Responders (MR, n = 7) (by 23.8 % ± 5.5, p = 0.002), whereas the increase of 26.2 % (±16.5) in Low Responders (LR, n = 7) was not significant. The amount of work (cm + s) increased significantly at every measurement point in all the groups. A significant correlation was observed between the fatigue percentage and relative changes in isometric force after the training period for the whole group (R = 0.475, p = 0.022) and separately only in HR (R = 0.643, p = 0.049). Only the HR group showed increased acute serum GH concentrations at every measurement point. There was also a significant acute increase in serum T for HR at weeks 6 and 10. HR showed the strongest correlation between acute loading-induced fatigue and isometric force gains. HR was also more sensitive to acute increases in serum concentrations of T and GH after the loading. Acute fatigue and serum GH concentrations may be indicators of responsiveness to muscle strength gain and, to some extent, muscle hypertrophy.peerReviewe

High Responders to Hypertrophic Strength Training Also Tend to Lose More Muscle Mass and Strength During Detraining Than Low Responders

This study investigated differences in individual responses to muscle hypertrophy during strength training and detraining. Ten weeks of resistance training was followed by 6 weeks of detraining in men (n 5 24). Bilateral leg press (LP) one-repetition maximum (1RM) and maximal electromyography (EMGs) of vastus lateralis (VL) and vastus medialis, maximal voluntary activation (VA), transcranial magnetic stimulation for corticospinal excitability (CE), cross-sectional area of VL (VLCSA), selected serum hormone concentrations were measured before and repeatedly during training and detraining. In the total group, VLCSA increased by 10.7% (p 5 0.025) and LP 1RM by 16.3% (p , 0.0001) after training. The subjects were split into 3 groups according to increases in VLCSA: high responders (HR) . 15% (n 5 10), medium responders (MR) 15–4.5% (n 5 7), and low responders (LR) , 4.5% (n 5 7). Vastus lateralis CSA in HR and MR increased statistically significantly from pre to posttraining but not in LR. Only HR increased LP 1RM statistically significantly from pre to post. Maximal EMG activity increased 21.3 6 22.9% from pre- to posttraining for the total group (p 5 0.009) and for MR (p , 0.001). No significant changes occurred in VA and CE or serum hormone concentrations. During detraining, HR showed a decrease of 210.5% in VLCSA, whereas MR and LR did not. None of the subgroups decreased maximal strength during the first 3 weeks of detraining, whereas HR showed a slight (by 2.5%) rebound in strength. The present results suggest that strength gains and muscle activation adaptations may take place faster in HR and decrease also faster compared with other subgroups during detraining.peerReviewe