Supply chain efficiency via knowledge management and blockchain adoption readiness

Purpose This study examines how manufacturing supply chain performance and firm financial performance are affected by knowledge management and blockchain technologies in manufacturing organizations. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of technological readiness in enhancing these relationships. The main gaps identified are the following: (1) Lack of combined study on knowledge management and blockchain synergy, (2) Technological readiness as an unexplored moderator, (3) Supply chain performance as a missing mediator, (4) Absence of an integrated model, (5) Tacit versus explicit knowledge with blockchain overlooked, and (6) Methodological gap due to limited quantitative data. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was adopted, employing a structured questionnaire based on a 7-point Likert scale to collect data. The study targeted manufacturing firms in Xi’an, employing stratified sampling with a sample size of 580 to ensure statistical robustness. Data analysis utilized PLS-SEM to examine hypothesized relationships and the moderating effect of technological readiness. Findings Numerical results from PLS-SEM suggest that both knowledge management and blockchain technology significantly enhance manufacturing supply chain performance and firm performance with a stronger effect observed when technological readiness is high. Technological readiness was found to moderate the relationship, indicating that manufacturing firms with greater technological capabilities reap more substantial benefits from knowledge management and blockchain technology integration. Practical implications The findings guide manufacturing managers and policymakers, showing that investing in knowledge management, blockchain and technological readiness can enhance supply chain and manufacturing firm performance. The study leverages resource-based view theory (resource complementarity), innovation diffusion theory (blockchain adoption via relative advantage/compatibility) and knowledge-based view theory (knowledge-value enhancement) to argue that technological readiness moderates how knowledge management and blockchain synergize for supply chain efficiency and firm performance. It extends knowledge-based view theory by emphasizing how technical infrastructure amplifies knowledge management impact, while innovation diffusion theory explains blockchain’s diffusion driven by efficiency and growth needs. Originality/value In the manufacturing sector, this study addresses a key research gap by integrating knowledge management and blockchain technology to examine their combined impact on supply chain performance and overall firm performance, while also highlighting the moderating role of technological readiness. It provides a nuanced understanding of how emerging technologies and organizational capabilities interplay to influence performance in the manufacturing sector.