Determinants of the Intention to Adopt Blockchain Technology in the Wine Industry: An Extension of the UTAUT Model

The adoption of blockchain systems can help agrifood companies improve social sustainability by enhancing transparency and accountability. In the wine industry, this is important to build trust relationships with consumers, contrast counterfeiting, and prove regulatory compliance. Despite this, blockchain adoption remains limited. This study aims to analyze the determinants of blockchain adoption intention through a quantitative survey of 103 small Italian wineries. Specifically, we use structural equation modeling to test a model grounded in the UTAUT theory, enhanced by the inclusion of the market dynamics variable. This includes aspects related to changing consumer preferences and competitive dynamics and aims to capture the effects of recent changes within wine supply chains on wineries' intention to adopt blockchain. The results show that performance expectancy and social influence have a positive effect on blockchain adoption intention, while effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and market dynamics are not significant. This study provides several contributions. First, it offers a theoretical framework for investigating blockchain adoption in the wine industry. Second, it prompts reflection on the role that organizational, technological, and environmental variables may play in fostering blockchain adoption.