A case study on strategies to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic in the food and beverage industry

This research investigates the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease, also referred to as COVID-19 pandemic, on the food and beverage industry. It examines both short-term and medium-to-long-term impacts of the pandemic and outlines strategies to reduce the potential consequences of those impacts. To this end, we use a qualitative, multiple-case-study methodology, collecting data from eight sample companies with fourteen respondents in the food and beverage industry in Bangladesh. The findings show that the short-term impacts of this pandemic, such as product expiry, shortage of working capital, and limited operations of distributors, are severe, while the medium-to-long-term impacts promise to be complex and uncertain. In the longer term, various performance metrics, such as return on investment by the firms, the contribution of the firms to the gross domestic product (GDP), and employee size, are all expected to decrease. Moreover, firms may need to restructure their supply chain and build relationships with new distributors and trade partners. The study proposes several strategies that managers in this sector can adopt to improve resiliency in the changing environment during and after the COVID-19 era. While this research is novel and contributes to both theory and practice, it does not consider small and medium-sized companies in the food and beverage industry. Therefore, the impacts and strategies we identify may not apply to smaller companies

Pathways for Improving Nigeria\u27s Procurement System

The manual procurement processes used by some private companies result in increased costs and contract fulfillment delays. The focus of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies procurement managers use to reduce costs and contract fulfillment delays. The population for this study was three procurement managers of private plastics companies located at Maitama, in Abuja, Nigeria. Weiss\u27s theory of change was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews and an exploration of company archival financial documents. Data were transcribed, coded, and then validated through member checking, resulting in the emergence of 5 themes: change implementation strategies, strategies for reducing cost and contract fulfillment delays, change implementation barriers, employee-focused factors, and strategies for responding to the changing external environmental factors. The 2 most important themes identified from the study were change implementation strategies and strategies for reducing cost and contract fulfillment delays. These strategies could help organizational leaders who desire improved procurement process change to define long-term goals and then map backward to identify preconditions to achieve the preferred change. The implications for positive social change include increased sustainability for companies and the consequent potential to increase employment among youth, improve standards of living of the workforce, and reduce social vices in Abuja, Nigeria

Procurement Strategies in Nigerian Ceramics Manufacturing

Some developing nations struggle with a diminishing manufacturing output market share because of a lack of appropriate procurement strategies. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the procurement strategies that managers successfully developed and deployed to improve company performance. The strategic alignment model was the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews of 6 members of a Nigerian ceramics manufacturing company, as well as from a review of publicly available documents related to the performance of the company. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted to identify codes, extract subthemes and themes from the codes, and develop a thematic map. The 5 themes that emerged from data analysis included the procurement strategies needed for cross-functional collaboration, emergencies and downturns, alternatives and competition, applications of information technologies in procurement functions, and control of stock level and vendors\u27 performance. The results of the data analysis confirmed empirical evidence that linked strategic procurement alignment to organizational performance. The implementation of the findings of this study may be beneficial to individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, and society through employment creation, costs savings, waste reduction, value creation, crime reduction, and local development