Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how the emerging blockchain technology can tackle dark side or dysfunctional effects at different stages of the interorganizational relationship life cycle. The rationale for this study stems from the somewhat paradoxical causes of dysfunctional effects. In particular, concepts such as trust and cooperation that typically result in positive relationship outcomes may also lead to negative effects under certain conditions. This contradiction creates a governance headache for organizations in their quest for initiating, developing, maintaining and enhancing efficient interorganizational relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws upon multiple organizational theories (agency, signaling, transaction cost, population ecology, institutional) and develops a conceptual understanding of how blockchain can serve as a safeguard for tackling dark side effects in interorganizational relationships. Primarily, the paper outlines a set of research propositions that provides a platform for developing an actionable managerial decision framework. In addition, the authors conduct an automated textual analysis of qualitative blockchain expert opinion using the ALCESTE software and uncover salient themes about blockchain governance.

Findings

The blockchain ledger distributes trust among participants and keeps dark side effects at bay. Hence, blockchain can transform conventional approaches for handling dark side effects into value creating activities. The results of an automated textual analysis on a corpus of expert opinions provides preliminary support for several aspects of blockchain governance. Furthermore, the study articulates a decision framework that managers can use for optimal relationship governance and identifies several areas for future research.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is conceptual in nature and draws upon multiple theoretical perspectives to outline a set of research propositions. Thus, lack of empirical testing is a current limitation. However, the findings from an automated textual analysis of expert opinions provide exploratory but encouraging support for the power of blockchain to tackle dark side effects.

Practical implications

Managers can deploy blockchain creatively while selecting interorganizational relationship partners. For example, provenance issues in organizations’ supply chains can be efficiently managed using blockchain. Likewise, organizations may also create efficient learning around blockchain to gain efficiencies in relationship management.

Originality/value

Conventional approaches for managing dark side effects in interorganizational relationships rely mainly on ex post governance strategies. By contrast, this paper supplements the extant approach by discussing ex ante strategies that can be deployed at different stages of the interorganizational relationship cycle, e.g. initiation, maintenance/development and termination to better address dark side effects.

中文翻译：

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区块链作为一种治理机制，用于解决组织间关系中的负面影响

目的

本文旨在研究新兴的区块链技术如何在组织间关系生命周期的不同阶段解决黑暗面或功能失调的影响。这项研究的基本原理源于功能失调效应的一些自相矛盾的原因。特别是，通常会导致积极关系结果的信任和合作等概念在某些情况下也可能导致负面影响。这种矛盾给寻求发起、发展、维护和增强有效的组织间关系的组织带来了治理难题。

设计/方法/方法

该研究借鉴了多种组织理论（代理、信号、交易成本、人口生态、制度），并对区块链如何作为解决组织间关系中的黑暗副作用的保障措施形成了概念性理解。首先，本文概述了一组研究命题，这些命题为开发可操作的管理决策框架提供了一个平台。此外，作者使用 ALCESTE 软件对定性区块链专家意见进行了自动文本分析，并揭示了有关区块链治理的突出主题。

发现

The blockchain ledger distributes trust among participants and keeps dark side effects at bay. Hence, blockchain can transform conventional approaches for handling dark side effects into value creating activities. The results of an automated textual analysis on a corpus of expert opinions provides preliminary support for several aspects of blockchain governance. Furthermore, the study articulates a decision framework that managers can use for optimal relationship governance and identifies several areas for future research.

Research limitations/implications

本文本质上是概念性的，并利用多种理论观点来概述一组研究命题。因此，缺乏经验测试是当前的限制。然而，专家意见的自动文本分析结果为区块链解决黑暗副作用的力量提供了探索性但令人鼓舞的支持。

实际影响

管理者可以在选择跨组织关系合作伙伴的同时创造性地部署区块链。例如，可以使用区块链有效管理组织供应链中的出处问题。同样，组织也可以围绕区块链创建有效的学习，以提高关系管理的效率。

原创性/价值

管理组织间关系中负面影响的传统方法主要依赖于事后治理策略。相比之下，本文通过讨论可以在组织间关系周期的不同阶段（例如启动、维护/发展和终止）部署的事前策略来补充现有方法，以更好地解决负面影响。