Designing a transformative smart business model based on the synergy of artificial intelligence and blockchain in technological knowledge-based companies

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Pouya Abdollahzadeh 1
Roya Afrassiabi 2
1 Department of Business Administration, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Educational Sciences, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran.
10.22047/hsd.2026.569117.1125
Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a smart business transformation model based on the synergy of artificial intelligence and blockchain in technology-based knowledge enterprises. This research is applied-developmental in nature and employs an exploratory mixed-method (qualitative-quantitative) approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts experienced in the fields of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital transformation, selected through purposive sampling. The reliability of the analysis was confirmed using Holsti’s coefficient of agreement, which yielded a value of 0.76. In the quantitative phase, data were collected through a questionnaire from 300 managers of knowledge-based companies via a simple random cluster sampling method. The construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as the reliability (Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability) of the questionnaire, were assessed and found to be at a desirable level. For data analysis, thematic analysis, structural-interpretive modeling, and partial least squares (PLS) methods were employed. The findings indicated that three components—data and technology governance, digital human capital, and digital technological infrastructure—play a foundational role in the application of AI and blockchain. These two technologies, through their synergistic interaction, form a smart transformative strategy that impacts process integration, digital process transformation, and process automation. Ultimately, business intelligence, as the final outcome of the model, reflects data-driven maturity and enhanced intelligent decision-making capability in technology-based knowledge enterprises.
Keywords
Transformation
Smart Business
Artificial Intelligence
Blockchain
Technology Knowledge-Based Companies
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Development of humanities
Volume 7, Issue 13 - Serial Number 13
Humanities
Volume 7, Spring and Summer 2026, No. 13
October 2026
Pages 191-218

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