Innovation for a circular economy : exploring the adoption of PSS by UK companies in the baby products sector

Several authors have commented on the relatively slow rate at which Product Service Systems (PSS) have been adopted in B2B networks. Despite some prominent examples, such as the provision of integrated lighting systems to Sainsbury’s (supermarket chain) by Parkersell in the UK, and the ‘pay per copy’ (lease and take back) systems provided by copier companies such as Xerox and Canon, PSS has not been widely adopted even though the business case seems sound. Consequently, the question of identifying and overcoming barriers to PSS adoption has become an important research topic. In this study we explore barriers to the adoption of PSS in the UK baby products industry using a qualitative research design employing in-depth interviews with baby products suppliers (manufacturers) and buyers (retailers). The novelty of the approach adopted in this study is that key concepts from the Industrial Networks Approach are used to frame the analysis. Buyers and suppliers of baby products acknowledge the value of the PSS approach, but PSS adoption is found to require considerable adaptation to conventional patterns of inter-organizational interaction

Inter-firm trade finance in times of crisis

The paper discusses the main features that distinguish inter-firm international trade finance from alternative sources of financing. On the one hand, inter-firm trade finance could help overcome informational problems associated with other lending relationships; on the other, it may contribute to propagate shocks due to the interconnection among firms along credit chains. The paper evaluates the potential effects of a financial crisis on the use of trade credit for firms operating in developing countries. It argues that while the advantages of trade credit might remain largely unexploited due to poor legal institutions, the disadvantages might be exacerbated because of these firms’ greater exposure to a default chain. Based on these arguments, a menu of choices is identified for what policymakers can do to boost firms’ access to inter-firm trade finance in times of crisis.Debt Markets,Access to Finance,Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress,Economic Theory&Research,Emerging Markets

Co-ordination and Lock-in: Competition with Switching Costs and Network Effects

Switching costs and network effects bind customers to vendors if products are incompatible, locking customers or even markets in to early choices. Lock-in hinders customers from changing suppliers in response to (predictable or unpredictable) changes in effciency, and gives vendors lucrative ex post market power-over the same buyer in the case of switching costs (or brand loyalty), or over others with network effects. Firms compete ex ante for this ex post power, using penetration pricing, introductory offers, and price wars. Such "competition for the market" or "life-cycle competition" can adequately replace ordinary compatible competition, and can even be fiercer than compatible competition by weakening differentiation. More often, however, incompatible competition not only involves direct effciency losses but also softens competition and magnifies incumbency advantages. With network effects, established firms have little incentive to offer better deals when buyers’ and complementors’ expectations hinge on non-effciency factors (especially history such as past market shares), and although competition between incompatible networks is initially unstable and sensitive to competitive offers and random events, it later "tips" to monopoly, after which entry is hard, often even too hard given incompatibility. And while switching costs can encourage small-scale entry, they discourage sellers from raiding one another’s existing customers, and s also discourage more aggressive entry. Because of these competitive effects, even ineffcient incompatible competition is often more profitable than compatible competition, especially for dominant rms with installed-base or expectational advantages. Thus firms probably seek incompatibility too often. We therefore favor thoughtfully pro-compatibility public policy.

Corportate strategy, centralisation and outsourcing in banking: case studies on paper payment processing

This is an empirical review of IT outsourcing as an emerging tool for corporate strategy after deregulation and other phenomena changed the suitability of the global/universal bank model. Case studies of UK commercial banks are used to focus on cost management of paper and electronic processing through insourcing and outsourcing arrangements to change the size/efficiency equation in banking. The analysis discusses the corporate strategy and corr capabilities ussues behind a number of innovations and illustrates how outsourcing and other third party arrangements alters strategic balance albeit as a component of overall strategy. The paper establishes why outsourcing decisions have been concentrated in particular aspects of banking and discusses the competitive and environmental forces which have contributed to this focus.

Poor choices: the limits of competitive markets in the provision of essential services to low-income consumers

A major study of the problems faced by the poor in the market for seven essential services in the UK - energy, food, housing, water, telecoms, transport, and financial services. Together these represent 60% of spending by the poorest 30% of households

Increasing Access to Food: A Comprehensive Report on Food Supply Options

Access to food is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, sustainable community. Grocery stores and other suppliers can serve as an economic anchor to provide social benefits to communities. Unfortunately, many communities do not have convenient and/or affordable access to grocery items, particularly fresh produce. As part of Virginia Commonwealth University\u27s Fall 2019 graduate course on Urban Commercial Revitalization, class members researched 13 retail and other food access options, which are described in this report. Each chapter covers a food access option and provides basic information that will be useful to individuals, organizations, or government agencies that wish to attract and/or develop grocery operations in their communities

Desafios do comércio eletrónico no Brasil: integração vertical entre fornecedores e meios de pagamentos, proteção de dados pessoais e cooperação regulatória internacional

O artigo trata do problema emergente da integração vertical dos meios de pagamento com a oferta dos serviços de venda no comércio eletrónico contemporáneo. É descrito o aumento do comércio eletrónico e são indicados três tipos de riscos aos consumidores: diretos, indiretos e sociais. É indicado que a integração vertical pode oferecer benefícios. Todavia, que essas vantagens potenciais são difíceis de mensurar em face dos riscos. É produzido um modelo de comércio remoto com uma evolução da tipologia de relações de troca, para evidenciar a automatização contemporânea dos processos comerciais. Depois, é indicado que o risco de vazamento de dados pessoais e bancários figura como um problema grave, em razão da integração vertical dos modelos de comércio eletrónico. Para evidenciar o problema, são descritos dois casos internacionais, para demonstrar a dificuldade de combate dos vários países em razão da centralização dos dados pelas empresas. Após isso, é realizada uma avaliação da legislação brasileira para evidenciar a sua limitação em razão da sua falta integração com outros campos da regulação, bem como pela inexistência de previsão de meios de cooperação internacional e sua efetividade. Por fim, a conclusão do artigo indica a necessidade de discutir o panorama do comércio eletrónico integrado com o olhar dirigido para experiências internacionais de proteção de dados pessoais e bancários, bem como dos riscos da internacionalização e da integração vertical.This article focuses on the trending issues about vertical integration between payment systems and the electronic commerce platforms from a Brazilian perspective. It describes the increasing international electronic commerce and it indicates three kinds of potential risks to consumers: direct, indirect and social. It shows that vertical integration can bring some benefits, which are very difficult to measure due to the related risks. The article creates a model of the remote commerce based on an evolution of a typology of typical trade relations to shed some light over the current automatization. Afterwards, the article states that the leakage of personal information coupled with vertical integration is a major threat to electronic businesses. It describes two international cases of mass data leakage to demonstrate the difficulties faced by the national systems in regulating transnational electronic commerce and data protection. Then, the article performs an assessment of the Brazilian legal system to conclude that there is a grave lack of integration of the electronic commerce regulations and that there is an absence of international cooperation provisions designed for electronic commerce. It concludes that Brazilian law may benefit from international experiences of personal data protection, and that the new legal provisions must take in account the risks associated with internationalization and vertical integration

Sustainable supply chain management trends in world regions: A data-driven analysis

This study proposes a data-driven analysis that describes the overall situation and reveals the factors hindering improvement in the sustainable supply chain management field. The literature has presented a summary of the evolution of sustainable supply chain management across attributes. Prior studies have evaluated different parts of the supply chain as independent entities. An integrated systematic assessment is absent in the extant literature and makes it necessary to identify potential opportunities for research direction. A hybrid of data-driven analysis, the fuzzy Delphi method, the entropy weight method and fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory is adopted to address uncertainty and complexity. This study contributes to locating the boundary of fundamental knowledge to advance future research and support practical execution. Valuable direction is provided by reviewing the existing literature to identify the critical indicators that need further examination. The results show that big data, closed-loop supply chains, industry 4.0, policy, remanufacturing, and supply chain network design are the most important indicators of future trends and disputes. The challenges and gaps among different geographical regions is offered that provides both a local viewpoint and a state-of-the-art advanced sustainable supply chain management assessment