Investigating the potential applications of blockchain technology: a focus group discussion

  • Authors

    • Syamsul Hidayat Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Serang, Banten, 42124, Indonesia
    • Ofan Sofian Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Serang, Banten, 42124, Indonesia
    • Aghy Gilar Pratama Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Information Technology, Universitas Mathla`ul Anwar, Pandeglang, Bante‎‎, 42124, Indonesia
    • Jaka Wijaya Kusuma Department of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Educational Science, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Serang, Banten, 42124, Indonesia
    • Asep Rahmatullah Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of science and technology, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Serang, Banten, 42124, Indonesia
    • Ulinnuha Department of Indonesian language and literature, Faculty of Educational Science, Universitas Bina Bangsa, Serang, Banten, 42124, ‎Indonesia
    https://doi.org/10.14419/fp3t3e68

    Received date: April 12, 2025

    Accepted date: May 22, 2025

    Published date: May 31, 2025

  • Blockchain Technology; Business; Management; Tourism Industry; Traceability
  • Abstract

    This study explores the potential applications of blockchain technology in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the tourism industry ‎through a focus group discussion (FGD) methodology. Aimed at understanding participants' perceptions and experiences, the research ‎investigates the barriers to adoption and the benefits of blockchain solutions in enhancing operational efficiency and trust. The FGDs, consisting of 100 participants from various business and academic backgrounds, revealed that while many SMEs recognize the advantages of ‎blockchain, such as transparency, security, and automated compliance, there are significant challenges, including high costs and a lack of ‎technical expertise. The findings suggest that for successful implementation, SMEs will require skilled personnel and supportive infrastructure-‎ture. This paper contributes valuable insights into the readiness of SMEs for blockchain adoption and highlights opportunities for future ‎research in this emergent field‎.

  • References

    1. Achmad GN, Yudaruddin R, Nugroho BA, Fitrian Z, Suharsono S, Adi AS, Hafsari P & Fitriansyah F (2023), Government support, eco-regulation and eco-innovation adoption in SMEs: The mediating role of eco-environmental. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 9(4), 100158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100158.
    2. Affandi Y, Ridhwan MM, Trinugroho I & Adiwibowo DH (2024), Digital adoption, business performance, and financial literacy in ultra-micro, micro, and small enterprises in Indonesia. Research in International Business and Finance, 70, 102376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102376.
    3. Alamsyah A, Widiyanesti S, Wulansari P, Nurhazizah E, Dewi AS, Rahadian D, Ramadhani DP, Hakim MN & Tyasamesi P (2023), Blockchain traceability model in the coffee industry. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 9(1), 100008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100008.
    4. Al-Ghaili M, Mahomed ASB & Yusof RNR (2024), Driving Digital Transformation: The impact of SME digitalization on technology acceptance and usage in small and medium enterprises of Yemen. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(11), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1111.17847.
    5. Ali MH, Chung L, Tan KH, Makhbul ZM, Zhan Y & Tseng M (2023), Investigating blockchain technology adoption intention model in halal food small and medium enterprises: moderating role of supply chain integration. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/13675567.2023.2217772.
    6. Alladi T, Chamola V, Parizi RM & Choo KR (2019), Blockchain Applications for Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT: A review. IEEE Access, 7, 176935–176951. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2956748.
    7. Almasarweh M, Jawasreh Z, AlGhasawneh Y, Matalka MA, Alshuaibi M, Kalbouneh N & Zoubi MA (2023), The impacts of task technology fit, transparency, and supply chain agility on the blockchain adoption by SMEs in Jordan. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 7(3), 1303–1310. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2023.4.008.
    8. Alshareef N & Tunio MN (2022), Role of leadership in adoption of blockchain technology in small and medium enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Fron-tiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.911432.
    9. Asadi M, Zolfani SH, Pamucar D, Salimi J & Saberi S (2023), The appropriation of blockchain implementation in the supply chain of SMES based on fuzzy LMAW. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 123, 106169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2023.106169.
    10. Asaithambi S, Ravi L, Devarajan M, Almazyad AS, Xiong G & Mohamed AW (2024), Enhancing enterprises trust mechanism through integrating blockchain technology into e-commerce platform for SMEs. Egyptian Informatics Journal, 25, 100444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eij.2024.100444.
    11. Asghar MN, Kanwal N, Lee B, Fleury M, Herbst M & Qiao Y (2019), Visual surveillance within the EU General Data Protection Regulation: A Technology Perspective. IEEE Access, 7, 111709–111726. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2934226.
    12. Bhardwaj AK, Garg A & Gajpal Y (2021), Determinants of blockchain technology adoption in supply chains by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2021, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5537395.
    13. Bracci E, Tallaki M, Ievoli R & Diplotti S (2021), Knowledge, diffusion and interest in blockchain technology in SMEs. Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(5), 1386–1407. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-02-2021-0099.
    14. Deng N, Shi Y, Wang J & Gaur J (2022), Testing the adoption of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management among MSMEs in China. Annals of Operations Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-022-04856-4.
    15. George RP, Peterson BL, Yaros O, Beam DL, Dibbell JM & Moore RC (2019), Blockchain for business. Journal of Investment Compliance, 20(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOIC-01-2019-0001.
    16. Guan P, Wood LC, Wang JX & Duong LNK (2023), Barriers to blockchain adoption in the seaport industry: A fuzzy DEMATEL analysis. Math-ematical Biosciences & Engineering, 20(12), 20995–21031. https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2023929.
    17. Hapiffah S & Sinaga A (2020), Analysis of Blokchain Technology Recommendations to be Applied to Medical Record Data Storage Applications in Indonesia. International Journal of Information Engineering and Electronic Business, 12(6), 13–27. https://doi.org/10.3934/mbe.2023929.
    18. Hidayat S, Sofian O, Pratama AG, Kusuma JW, Ulinnuha U & Hamidah H (2023), Potential Adoption of Blockchain Technology in Small Indus-tries and the Tourism Industry in Indonesia: An Empirical Study of the Main Drivers Using Extended UTAUT. Migration Letters. https://migrationletters.com/index.php/ml/article/view/5634/3853.
    19. Husin AE, Priyawan P, Kussumardianadewi BD, Pangestu R, Prawina RS, Kristiyanto K & Arif EJ (2023), Renewable Energy Approach with In-donesian Regulation Guide Uses Blockchain-BIM to Green Cost Performance. Civil Engineering Journal, 9(10), 2486–2502. https://doi.org/10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-10-09.
    20. Irwanto I (2006), Focused group discussion (FGD): a practical introduction. Yayasan Obor Indonesia. https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Focused_group_discussion_FGD.html?id=UJh5gZf1GXAC&redir_esc=y.
    21. Kamath R (2018), Food Traceability on Blockchain: Walmart’s Pork and Mango Pilots with IBM. The Journal of British Blockchain Association, 1(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.31585/jbba-1-1-(10)2018.
    22. Kaur M, Kaur PD & Sood SK (2022), ICT in disaster management context: a descriptive and critical review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(57), 86796–86814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21475-5.
    23. Koirala RC, Dahal K, Matalonga S & Rijal R (2019), A Supply Chain Model with Blockchain-Enabled Reverse Auction Bidding Process for Transparency and Efficiency. 2019 13th International Conference on Software, Knowledge, Information Management and Applica-tions, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/SKIMA47702.2019.8982476.
    24. Kurniasari F, Lestari ED & Tannady H (2023), Pursuing Long-Term Business Performance: Investigating the Effects of Financial and Technologi-cal Factors on Digital Adoption to Leverage SME Performance and Business Sustainability—Evidence from Indonesian SMEs in the Traditional Market. Sustainability, 15(16), 12668. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612668.
    25. Lanzini F, Ubacht J & De Greeff J (2021), Blockchain adoption factors for SMEs in supply chain management. Journal of Supply Chain Manage-ment Science. https://doi.org/10.18757/JSCMS.2021.5624.
    26. Li D, Gong Y, Zhang X & Huang M (2022), An exploratory study on the design and management model of traditional Chinese medicine quality Safety Traceability System based on blockchain technology. Security and Communication Networks, 2022, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7011145.
    27. Lin Y, Zheng R, Wu F, Zeng N, Li J & Tao X (2023), Blockchain-driven framework for financing credit in small and medium-sized real estate en-terprises. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 37(1), 201–229. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-01-2023-0032.
    28. Maythu Y, Kwok AO & Teh P (2024), Blockchain technology diffusion in tourism: Evidence from early enterprise adopters and innovators. Heli-yon, 10(2), e24675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24675.
    29. Mohammed A, Potdar V, Quaddus M & Hui W (2023), Blockchain adoption in Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review on Enablers, Benefits, and Barriers. IEEE Access, 11, 14236–14255. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3236666.
    30. Pineda M, Jabba D, Nieto-Bernal W & Pérez A (2024), Sustainable Consensus Algorithms Applied to Blockchain: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability, 16(23), 10552. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310552.
    31. Rahman MH, Yeoh W & Pal S (2024), Exploring factors influencing blockchain adoption’s effectiveness in organizations for generating business value: a systematic literature review and thematic analysis. Enterprise Information Systems, 18(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/17517575.2024.2379830.
    32. Raj A, Kumar A, Sharma V, Rani S & Shanu AK (2023), Enhancing Security Feature in Financial Transactions using Multichain Based Blockchain Technology. 2023 4th International Conference on Intelligent Engineering and Management (ICIEM), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIEM59379.2023.10166589.
    33. Rakshit S, Islam N, Mondal S & Paul T (2022), Influence of blockchain technology in SME internationalization: Evidence from high-tech SMEs in India. Technovation, 115, 102518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2022.102518.
    34. Rakshit S, Jeyaraj A & Paul T (2023), SME performance through blockchain Technologies. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 64(2), 204–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2023.2187482.
    35. Risius M & Spohrer K (2017), A blockchain research framework. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 59(6), 385–409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-017-0506-0.
    36. Setiawan B (2019), Blockchain Education as a Future Business Solution for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Palembang City. Independent Community Service Journal, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.36982/jam.v3i2.828.
    37. Shahzad K, Zhang Q, Ashfaq M, Zafar AU & Ahmad B (2023), pre-to post-adoption of blockchain technology in supply chain management: Influ-encing factors and the role of firm size. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 198, 122989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122989.
    38. Sousa J & Soares I (2023), Benefits and barriers concerning demand response stakeholder value chain: A systematic literature review. Energy, 280, 128065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.128065.
    39. Tallaki M, Bracci E, Ievoli R & Diplotti S (2020), Knowledge, diffusion and interest towards blockchain technology in SMEs. 2020 IEEE Interna-tional Conference on Technology Management, Operations and Decisions, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTMOD49425.2020.9380582.
    40. Thees H, Erschbamer G & Pechlaner H (2020), The application of blockchain in tourism: use cases in the tourism value system. European Journal of Tourism Research, 26, 2602. https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v26i.1933.
    41. Wang Y, Han JH & Beynon-Davies P (2018), Understanding blockchain technology for future supply chains: a systematic literature review and research agenda. Supply Chain Management an International Journal, 24(1), 62–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-03-2018-0148.
    42. Westerlund M, Nene S, Leminen S & Rajahonka M (2021), An Exploration of Blockchain-based Traceability in Food Supply Chains: On the Bene-fits of Distributed Digital Records from Farm to Fork. Technology Innovation Management Review, 6–18. https://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1446.
    43. Xueting H (2023), Blockchain-Enabled Smart Packaging: Enhancing food traceability and consumer confidence in the Chinese food industry. The Frontiers of Society Science and Technology, 5(12). https://doi.org/10.25236/FSST.2023.051201.
    44. Yang R, Yu FR, Si P, Yang Z & Zhang Y (2019), Integrated Blockchain and Edge Computing Systems: A survey, some research issues and chal-lenges. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 21(2), 1508–1532. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2019.2894727.
    45. Zhang X & Ling L (2022), A review of blockchain solutions in supply chain Traceability. Tsinghua Science & Technology, 28(3), 500–510. https://doi.org/10.26599/TST.2022.9010030.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Hidayat, S., Sofian , O. ., Pratama , A. G. ., Kusuma , J. W. ., Rahmatullah , A. ., & Ulinnuha. (2025). Investigating the potential applications of blockchain technology: a focus group discussion. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(1), 171-179. https://doi.org/10.14419/fp3t3e68