Demystifying the factors influencing blockchain technology adoption in mega infrastructure projects: an analysis of fuzzy ISM-DEMATEL

Purpose Blockchain technology (BT) provides opportunities to improve the management of mega infrastructure projects (MIPs) through enhanced transparency, reliability and trust. Although there are notable applications of BT for managing MIPs, limited research has focused on the factors influencing BT adoption in these projects. To address this gap, this study demystifies these factors regarding their correlations and variance in impact. Design/methodology/approach The research approach involves several procedures. Firstly, a comprehensive review was implemented to identify the factors influencing BT adoption in MIPs from the existing research. The following analysis by interpretive structural modeling (ISM) enables an in-depth examination of pair-wise relationships of the factors influencing BT adoption in MIPs. Moreover, the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) investigates the cause and centrality degrees of the factors to decipher their impact. Findings This study reveals that addressing management personnel's concerns and securing their support are of prime importance for BT adoption in MIPs. It also identifies the role of technical infrastructure and foundation as a major cause factor to influence such adoption. Practical implications This study can enable the decision maker to better understand the overall conditions to adopt BT in MIPs and guide the crew to focus on the access, privacy and interoperability in BT use. Originality/value This study systematically enumerates the factors influencing BT adoption in MIPs, clarifies their interrelationships, and elucidates their impact on BT adoption in MIPs.