How blockchain technology generates a trust-based competitive advantage in the wine industry: a resource based view perspective

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore whether the blockchain technology (BCT), as a unique and distinctive resource, affects the development of unique capabilities and the integration and reconfiguration of internal physical and human resources necessary to gain a trusted competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach has been used to identify the internal resources and capabilities that affect the decision to implement BCT and to determine whether this new technology can become a strategic internal resource in the wine industry. Findings Results show the role of two strategic resources: human resources, such as IT specialists and software developers for BCT applications, and skills of companies’ management to grant sensitive and confidential data to IT specialists and the ability to read the analytics from the BCT application, becoming a distinctive enabling assets. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is related to the analysis of a single case, which, on the one hand, does not allow generalisation of the empirical findings but, on the other hand, is themost appropriatemethod for the explorative nature of this research. Practical implications Our findings have useful practical implications for wineries and agri-food companies in overall because they can support managers and entrepreneurs in effectively implementing these innovative digital technologies in their valuecreation process. Originality/value The study of this underexplored topic gives interesting insights into the resources needed for the successful adoption of this emerging technology, which can support wineries in improving the value-creating process. In particular, compared to the previous studies, this research analyses the adoption process under the resource-based theory lens.

The Integration of the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain Technology for Advancing the Wine Supply Chain

“…Blockchain ensures the immutability of the data. This solution helped to winery in strengthening consumers' trust and brand loyalty [30].…”

“…By making the whole food production process more open and available to consumers, BCT enables direct consumer-to-producer connection [119,120]. It increases consumer confidence and trust in food safety by lowering obstacles to commodity movement [30]. From the perspective of regulatory agencies, BCT enables the efficient and effective application of legislation based on accurate and trustworthy data [121].…”

“…One of the challenges is the lack of transparency and traceability, which makes it difficult to track the origin of grapes, monitor the production process, and verify the authenticity of the final product [29]. This opacity can lead to issues such as fraud, counterfeiting, and mislabeling, undermining consumer trust and confidence in the industry [30]. Additionally, the wine supply chain often suffers from inefficiencies related to inventory management, transportation logistics, and demand forecasting, resulting in higher costs and longer lead times [31,32].…”

“…BCT is used to generate digital wine authenticity certificates that are used to verify the provenance and legitimacy of a bottle of wine. In addition to reducing the likelihood of falsification and fraud, this offers purchasers more certainty about the quality and authenticity of the wines they purchase [15,30,49,121,122].…”

Antecedents of Industry 4.0 capabilities and technological innovation: a dynamic capabilities perspective

“…To create new competitive advantages, SMEs must focus on enhancing their innovations, which can be a major source for creating competitive advantages (Rubio-Andrés et al , 2023). Innovations are described as the best way to penetrate markets and increase the growth of firms (Alkhatib and Valerie, 2022; Silvestri et al , 2023).…”