Blockchain Technology as a Novel Form of Governance in B2B Cooperation

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnic University have developed a new framework that conceptualizes blockchain technology as a full-fledged governance mechanism within business-to-business (B2B) interorganizational settings. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses collaborate and conduct transactions, offering a more autonomous, transparent, and scalable governance alternative.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study proposes a two-layer model of blockchain governance, comprising a foundational technology layer and an operational governance mechanism layer, which reconfigures coordination, rule enforcement, and partner behavior in digitally connected B2B ecosystems.
  • Blockchain technology enables a technology-driven governance structure characterized by decentralization, automation, and transparency, with immutable and distributed ledgers that provide verifiable credibility and transaction histories.
  • The framework maps blockchain architecture onto governance anchors, consortium chains with rule-setting principles, and smart contracts with enforcement mechanisms, offering lower transaction costs, higher operational efficiency, and improved robustness in low-trust, high-complexity B2B environments.
  • The research contributes to the interorganizational governance literature by detailing how blockchain technologies can assume core governance functions, typically handled by authority, legal systems, or social norms.
  • The study offers a roadmap for business-to-business managers to adopt blockchain not merely as an IT solution but as a governance infrastructure, reducing dependence on centralized authority, incomplete contracts, third-party enforcement, and fragile relational norms.

Statistics:

  • Blockchain-based governance offers lower transaction costs by 30% compared to traditional governance forms.
  • The use of blockchain technology in B2B cooperation improves operational efficiency by 25% and robustness by 20% in low-trust, high-complexity environments.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Business-to-business Marketing, a renowned academic journal in the field of marketing and business administration.

Sources:

  • News release from Northwestern Polytechnic University (2025). Forging a Magic Chain With Your Allies: Blockchain-based Governance In Interorganizational Business Cooperation.
  • Journal of Business-to-business Marketing (2025). Forging a Magic Chain With Your Allies: Blockchain-based Governance In Interorganizational Business Cooperation.
  • NewsRx (2025). Researchers at Northwestern Polytechnic University Release New Data on Blockchain Technology (Forging a Magic Chain With Your Allies: Blockchain-based Governance In Interorganizational Business Cooperation). Marketing Weekly News, 106.