Paper Number

ICIS2025-2215

Paper Type

Short

Abstract

We investigate the limited real-world adoption of enterprise blockchain applications despite their well-documented potential. Our study addresses how strategic IT-business alignment affects organizational-level adoption and identifies ecosystem-level conditions that facilitate network-wide uptake. We draw upon a dual-theoretical framework that seamlessly combines the Strategic Alignment Model and Network Externalities Theory. We adopt a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with elite informants. Contrary to contemporary theoretical insights and industry practices portraying the adoption of blockchain applications as a competitive advantage, our findings demonstrate that it is successfully adopted only when it offers unique solutions to pressing business challenges. Our findings further showcase that its widespread adoption requires coordination across stakeholders, facilitated by ecosystem-level drivers. Our work, therefore, contributes to a better understanding of the sociotechnical and interorganizational dynamics essential for the adoption of decentralized technologies. We discuss the implications of our work for theory and practice and outline an agenda for future research.

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10-Blockchain

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Dec 14th, 12:00 AM

Strategic Alignment and Network Effects in Blockchain Adoption

We investigate the limited real-world adoption of enterprise blockchain applications despite their well-documented potential. Our study addresses how strategic IT-business alignment affects organizational-level adoption and identifies ecosystem-level conditions that facilitate network-wide uptake. We draw upon a dual-theoretical framework that seamlessly combines the Strategic Alignment Model and Network Externalities Theory. We adopt a qualitative approach, conducting interviews with elite informants. Contrary to contemporary theoretical insights and industry practices portraying the adoption of blockchain applications as a competitive advantage, our findings demonstrate that it is successfully adopted only when it offers unique solutions to pressing business challenges. Our findings further showcase that its widespread adoption requires coordination across stakeholders, facilitated by ecosystem-level drivers. Our work, therefore, contributes to a better understanding of the sociotechnical and interorganizational dynamics essential for the adoption of decentralized technologies. We discuss the implications of our work for theory and practice and outline an agenda for future research.

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