Blockchain in Jordanian construction: an exploratory empirical study of stakeholder priorities and bootstrapped ROI

Introduction This study proposes an evidence‐informed, three‐phase framework for blockchain implementation in Jordanian public building projects, developed by combining stakeholder‐based prioritization with bootstrapped ROI analysis. Grounded in Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) and the Technology—Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, it examines how stakeholders prioritize blockchain use cases and explores the financial attractiveness of a progress‐payment pilot using bootstrapped ROI (Return on Investment) via scenario-based NPV/IRR simulations with resampling. Methods A purposive, non‐probability survey of 123 contractors, consultants, and academics was conducted to identify priority applications, perceived benefits and barriers, and relevant organizational and technological characteristics. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi‐square tests, a regularized binary logistic regression (progress payments vs. other priorities) with bootstrap inference, and Monte Carlo bootstrapped NPV/IRR simulations for a 5‐year pilot. Results Respondents across roles consistently prioritized progress‐payment automation and change‐order management, citing transparency as the main expected benefit and low awareness as the leading barrier. Logistic results indicate that greater experience, contractor role, and lower BIM use are associated with selecting payments as the top priority, although these associations are estimated on an exploratory, small purposive sample and should not be interpreted as definitive population‐level effects. Under conservative, literature‐informed assumptions, the pilot scenario yielded a positive expected NPV (mean ≈ JOD 50,143) and favorable IRR distribution, although these ROI indications remain exploratory and assumption‐dependent. Discussion Findings are exploratory and specific to the surveyed stakeholders; they do not claim population representativeness and provide indicative evidence to guide blockchain pilot design and policy discussion in Jordan. Because public building projects are core elements of urban infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, and administrative facilities), these exploratory findings are directly relevant to improving sustainable urban infrastructure delivery and governance in Jordanian cities and, by extension, to SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities).