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Chinese Journal of Management Science ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (2): 336-347.doi: 10.16381/j.cnki.issn1003-207x.2023.0496

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Research on Privacy Protection and Reputation Maintenance Decision of Gift Product Supply Chain Enabled by Blockchain Technology

Hongping Yuan, Li Zhang, Bingbing Cao()   

  1. School of Management,Guangzhou University,Guangzhou 510006,China
  • Received:2023-03-29 Revised:2023-06-12 Online:2026-02-25 Published:2026-02-04
  • Contact: Bingbing Cao E-mail:bbcao@gzhu.edu.cn

Abstract:

“Courtesy demands reciprocity” is deeply rooted in Chinese social culture, and the proverb “Courtesy on one side only lasts not long” is a driving force behind the prevalence of gift-giving in various public social settings. Typically, the act of giving a gift serves as an expression of respect or concern for the recipient, or it may involve seeking something in return. In the case of utilitarian goods with a purpose or assistance in mind, the gift-giver must consider not only the quality of the items but also the protection of the recipient’s privacy. Enterprises, as providers of goods, must also grapple with these considerations. The traceability function of blockchain technology can partially mitigate the sale of counterfeit products, alleviating consumers' concerns about product quality. However, it is crucial to note that the application of blockchain technology is not entirely without risk. When consumers' private information becomes part of the blockchain due to a transaction, the enterprise may not explicitly guarantee that it won't be used for other purposes. This potential misuse of personal information increases the risk of exposing other sensitive data about consumers and can negatively impact the reputation of the enterprises involved. Considering the specific social and cultural context of China, it is indeed worthwhile to explore the impact of blockchain technology's empowerment on decision-making within the gift product supply chain.The application of blockchain technology can indeed curb the sale of counterfeit products to a certain extent, but it also gives rise to privacy concerns among various stakeholders, including gift-givers (consumers) and recipients. To delve deeper into this issue, it is approached from different blockchain application scenarios and production/marketing modes. Hotelling model is employed to construct a competition model for the gift product supply chain. This model allows us to analyze the evolving impact of product audience preferences on the gift product market. Furthermore, the conditions under which the integration of blockchain technology are investigated into the gift product supply chain is viable.The results reveal that consumer cost aversion, cost regret, and recipient dissatisfaction exert a significant influence on the decision-making processes of supply chain members. Specifically, the recipient's focus on product features directly impacts the service level and market share of the supply chain. Conversely, consumer undifferentiated preferences not only weaken the recipient's influence but also reduce the gift supply chain's willingness to combat counterfeit products by implementing blockchain technology. Furthermore, when recipients place greater emphasis on safeguarding their privacy information, an increase in recipient dissatisfaction leads to an expansion of off-chain market share and an enhancement of on-chain privacy protection. However, it also results in a reduction of on-chain market share and off-chain reputation maintenance levels. As the gap between cost aversion and cost regret narrows, the impact of recipient dissatisfaction on supply chain members' decision-making and market share diminishes. Additionally, in cases where both on-chain information leakage and off-chain sale of counterfeit products are present, it is found that, compared to decentralized decision-making, product audience preferences wield a more substantial influence on the service level and market share of the supply chain when centralized decision-making is adopted. This underscores the importance for integrated production and marketing enterprises to prioritize audience preferences when seeking to enhance market competitiveness. Moreover, for gift product supply chains that integrate production and marketing, it is imperative to consider the preferences of the product audience when contemplating the introduction of blockchain technology.

Key words: blockchain technology, privacy protection, reputation maintenance, gifts products, Hotelling model

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