The Acceptance Of Blockchain Technology In Managing Small Estates In Malaysia

Efficient management of small estates is crucial to support the nation's economic and social development; however, current practices remain inefficient, often resulting in delays that prevent beneficiaries from accessing their rightful inheritance. The research questions that guided this study are: i) What are the current challenges in managing small estates? and ii) How is blockchain technology accepted in the management of small estates? This study used qualitative research methodology and employed semi structured interviews as the data collection method. The unit of analysis is at individual level, and data was collected from four participants who are the officers from different agencies in Malaysia, who responsible for small estates management. The Technology- Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) were used as conceptual guidelines. Thematic analysis revealed three categories of challenges: technological (integration issues, security and privacy concerns, fragmented information, unstable systems, and usability issues), organizational (resource constraints, documentation issues, ineffective time management, resolution of beneficiary issues, and heirship knowledge gap), and environmental (legal complexities and unstandardized regulation). This study also explored the acceptance of blockchain technology, identifying five themes: efficiency improvement, improved traceability and transparency, regulatory compliance, integration with existing systems, and scalability and performance. This study contributes to the extension of the TOE and TAM frameworks by offering a management-focused understanding of the challenges and how the acceptance of blockchain technology in managing small estate. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to enhance the efficiency and transparency of small estate management through appropriate technological integration, particularly blockchain.