From Design to Theory: Understanding the Evolution of Blockchain Research in Project Management

This study presents a systematic literature review of 58 peer-reviewed publications on blockchain-based project management to examine the dominant research methods and theoretical approaches in the field. Using an established Information Systems theory classification framework, the review classifies existing studies into four categories: Explicit Theory-Driven, Conceptual/Framework-Oriented, Design Science/Artifact-Oriented, and Descriptive/Empirical without Theory. Findings reveal that current research is largely technology-centric, with nearly 70% of studies adopting design-science or artifact-oriented methods and fewer than 10% engaging explicit theoretical foundations. This indicates that blockchain-project management scholarship remains in a pre-theoretical stage, focusing primarily on prototype development rather than explanatory or predictive theorizing. A clear method–theory coupling also emerges, where design-science methods align with artifact creation, quantitative surveys with theory-driven studies, and qualitative cases with descriptive work. Temporal patterns show gradual movement toward theory-informed and mixed-method research, signaling early maturation of the field. The review concludes by outlining three priorities for future research: translating design insights into theoretical constructs, developing hybrid frameworks that integrate behavioral and institutional perspectives, and adopting multi-level approaches to examine blockchain’s impact across project ecosystems. These insights provide a structured foundation for advancing both scholarly theory and practical applications in blockchain-enabled project management.