Antecedents of Blockchain Technology Acceptance: A Study in context of Supply Chain Management of SMEs of India

Purpose: This study sought to identify the primary drivers behind Indian SMEs' adoption of blockchain technology for supply chain management (SCM) and how they make decisions about it.Finding out which factor or factors are more strongly associated with the intention to adopt was another goal of the study. Design/methodology/approach: To find out the factors influencing Blockchain Technology Acceptance in SMEs, authors used the TAMTOE model of technology adoption. The authors used the Structural Equation Modeling Approach (SEM) through AMOS software to figure out how dependent and independent variables related to each other. Findings: By using the TAM-TOE model, it looks at innovation, technological, organizational, environmental, and individual factors and comes up with nine different hypotheses. Out of them, six were confirmed. These six variables were: Relative benefit, Blockchain compatibility, Technology readiness, Management support, Perceived utility&Vendor support. However, variables like Security Risk,Regulatory Support&Ease of use not significantly associated with Blockchain Technology Acceptance by SMEs. Blockchain compatibility is further found to be a key factor in SMEs deciding to use blockchain in their supply chains. Practical implications: The stakeholders, government officials, business leaders, and policy makers engaged in the deployment and provision of a blockchain service may all benefit from this study. Originality/value: The study proposed that SME management authorities must provide the required infrastructure (both organizational&technical) to ensure a smooth blockchain experience in SCM. Moreover, it is suggested that Indian policymakers create a regulatory framework to govern the utilization of blockchain technology.