Optimal strategies of blockchain-enabled platform supply chain with manufacturer’s altruistic preference

This paper investigates a platform supply chain consisting of a manufacturer and a platform and explores the impact of the manufacturer’s altruistic preference on the platform’s decision to introduce blockchain technology in reselling and agency models. The results indicate that, firstly, when the investment cost of blockchain technology is low, both the manufacturer and the platform prefer to use blockchain in the reselling model, and when the investment cost and the commission are high, both parties opt for an agency sales model. Then, the reselling model is a better option when consumer traceability demand is high, but for the additional unit information cost expended on products, the platform will not introduce blockchain technology in the agency model when the demand weakening effect from this unit cost exceeds 5.7% of the total demand. Finally, considering the manufacturer’s altruistic preference behavior, it is not feasible to simultaneously boost the revenue of both parties under either sales model. However, in the agency model, the manufacturer’s altruistic preference can incentivize the platform to introduce blockchain technology.