An overview of the main areas covered in your project and how these relate to key literature in your chosen area of research.

Assignment Brief

A 400-word report (divided into two 200-word sections) that covers the following information: 

• Suggested literature is as follows which are not in the previous work done by (Mendling, J., Weber, I., Aalst, W. V. D., Brocke, J. V., Cabanillas, C., Daniel, F., ... & Gal, A. (2018). Blockchains for business process management-challenges and opportunities. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems (TMIS), 9(1),
• An overview of the methodological approach adopted by your chosen project. (in the research proposal done by you, you had mentioned to undertake survey but as my lecturer suggested a semi-structured interview from the expert/professionals may become the main research instrument to use here so I would like to mention semi-structured interview.

Sample Answer

Section 1: Overview of Research Area and Key Literature

This research project focuses on the integration of blockchain technology into business process management (BPM), with particular attention to the practical opportunities and challenges it presents in real-world enterprise settings. While Mendling et al. (2018) offer a foundational exploration, this study extends its literature base by considering recent contributions such as Beck et al. (2018), who evaluate blockchain’s strategic fit in various industries, and Treiblmaier (2019), who investigates blockchain’s potential to enhance trust and decentralisation in BPM.

Key areas explored in the project include data transparency, immutability, smart contracts, and process automation, all of which are central to improving BPM through blockchain. Additionally, the research considers organisational readiness, resistance to technological change, and the alignment between blockchain capabilities and business needs, drawing on Iansiti and Lakhani (2017) and Notheisen et al. (2017) to frame the theoretical and managerial relevance.

These studies support the argument that while blockchain offers valuable innovations, its integration into BPM systems requires both technological and cultural adaptations. This project aims to assess these aspects using current business cases and expert perspectives, thereby contributing practical insights to the ongoing academic conversation.

Section 2: Methodological Approach

The research initially proposed the use of a survey-based approach to gather data from a broad audience. However, following academic guidance and the evolving focus of the study, the methodology has been refined to adopt semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method. This change reflects the need for in-depth, qualitative insights from professionals with direct experience in blockchain and BPM integration.

Continued...