JMSE, Vol. 13, Pages 249: Navigating Uncertainty: A Novel Framework for Assessing Barriers to Blockchain Adoption in Freeport Operations

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering doi: 10.3390/jmse13020249

Authors:
Xinrui Liang
Shiqi Fan
Huanhuan Li
Giles Jones
Zaili Yang

Blockchain technology holds the potential to significantly enhance efficiency and safety in freeport operations. However, fully realising its benefits necessitates a thorough assessment of the obstacles hindering its applications, which often depends on expert opinions characterised by uncertainty and inconsistency. This issue remains inadequately addressed in the existing literature due to the limitations of currently employed methods. To address this gap, this study aims to develop a novel methodology for assessing blockchain adoption barriers in freeports. It makes methodological contributions by combining the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Bayesian Network (BN) methods to identify and quantify complex interrelationships between barriers and facilitate probabilistic predictions of barrier strength. The model is parameterised using the ranked nodes method to reduce the reliance on expert-assigned probabilities. Primary data on barriers’ causal relationships are collected from experts with interdisciplinary experience in blockchain and freeport operations, grounding the analysis in real-world insights. This study makes practical contributions by analysing the blockchain application within a new context (i.e., freeports) and presenting novel findings. Key managerial insights include identifying high investment costs as the most interactive barrier and lack of trust among stakeholders as the most essential barrier. Additionally, evaluating the overall impact of barriers enables targeted strategies for freeport policymakers.

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