Can Blockchain Advance Digital Social Responsibility in Enterprise Ecosystems? Evidence From 121 Implementation Projects

This study explores how blockchain solutions impact digital social responsibility within enterprise ecosystems by impacting sustainable business practices and enabling mechanisms for responsible governance and stakeholder participation. Through synthesizing literature and analyzing 121 real-world enterprise blockchain projects, we apply the Gioia method to elucidate behavioral, organizational, and technological drivers shaping blockchain′s impact on sustainability. Our findings reveal that blockchain′s impact is not uniform but follows distinct configurations of use, where specific design features interact with governance structures to produce different sustainability outcomes. In particular, we show how blockchain applications cluster into identifiable patterns that differentially impact sustainability dimensions. We develop and apply a multidimensional taxonomy that classifies the blockchain-based patterns, sustainability, and governance dimensions to clarify how the technology advances digital social responsibility across enterprise ecosystems. Through the classification we develop recurring application patterns, relevant trade-offs, and a set of boundary conditions under which specific configurations are more or less effective. Theoretically, this clarifies when and how blockchain meaningfully alters governance and responsibility rather than simply digitizing existing practices. Practically, it provides decision-relevant guidance on which design choices are suitable for different sustainability objectives and organizational settings.