Blockchain Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management—A Bibliometric Literature Review From 2016 to January 2020

TLDR

Blockchain technology research in logistics and supply chain management began in 2016, and while interest has surged, no comprehensive bibliometric or cocitation analysis has yet been conducted. This study aims to map the current state of blockchain technology research in logistics and supply chain management by conducting a bibliometric analysis of 613 academic articles. The authors employ a bibliometric methodology that includes citation network and cocitation analyses to examine the 613 articles. The analysis identifies five research clusters—sensemaking, application testing, supply‑chain framing, technical design, and digital‑supply‑chain role—and offers an accessible entry point for scholars and practitioners.

Abstract

As part of business and management studies, research works addressed blockchain technology (BCT) in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) first in 2016. Increasing levels of interest from researchers and practitioners alike have led to an increasing number of studies from both ends; however, a thorough bibliometric- and cocitation network analysis of BCT in LSCM research has not been carried out so far. To address this gap and to build a basis for future research endeavors, this article provides a bibliometric analysis on BCT, comprising data from 613 articles from academic supply chain research. It is therefore an easy-to-access entry point for academics and practitioners into the topic of BCT in LSCM. This study aims to understand the status of research of BCT in LSCM. To present the results, this article employs a bibliometric analysis methodology. It adopts a citation network analysis and a cocitation analysis. Based on a cocitation analysis, this article classifies the existing literature into five different research clusters, including theoretical sensemaking, conceptualizing and testing blockchain applications, framing BCT into supply chains, the technical design of BCT applications for real-world LSCM applications, and the role of BCT within digital supply chains.