scholarly journals Between flowers and fears: the new coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the flower retail trade

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Adilson Anacleto ◽  
Anna Paula de Araújo Bornancin ◽  
Silas Hallel Camilo Mendes ◽  
Luciane Scheuer

Abstract In order to support a better understanding of the current scenario of the crisis installed by the New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2: COVID-19) in the flower retail trade, it is presented a descriptive exploratory research carried out between April and May 2020 with 30 flower shop managers located in the Southern region of Brazil. The results showed that the most significant impacts were the drop in the number of customers, which reduced the company’s income when compared to the values sold before the pandemic, and that the pandemic scenario generated a 45.3% reduction in financial transactions on average. Among the flower shops in this survey, 70% of flower shops were closed for an average of 21.4 days, when they were reopened with restrictions on attendance related to hours or the number of people inside the stores. The e-commerce and social media were the main tools to confront this situation, and the most used Apps were WhatsApp and Instagram. But other actions such as discounting on purchases by quantity, free delivery and marketing in the surrounding were also registered. Among the possible complementary actions in order to face this crisis and which can have positive effects, it is highlighted the online courses directed to the trade of gardening kits, the adoption of the Just In Time (JIT) methodology that can result in partnerships with local producers in order to reduce inventory costs and purchase prices, and the organization of collective purchasing groups to bargain prices with wholesalers, as well as the reduction of transportation and operational costs at Veiling in Holambra.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Selim

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of eliminating Riba in foreign currency transactions. Riba or interest arises when foreign currencies are bought and sold at different rates. From the Islamic perspective, the difference between the buying and selling rates of foreign exchange will constitute Riba. Also, this paper examines the effects of eliminating such Riba on major macroeconomic variables. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on the hadith which imply that if buying and selling rates of currencies or foreign exchanges are same, i.e. if one sells BD1 = Dh10 and Dh10 = BD1 on spot, there will be no Riba. This can be guaranteed if the Islamic banking system introduces the technology, often known as FinTech interest-free foreign exchange bank machines (IFfexBM), which will automatically dispense BD10 for Dh100 and vice-versa, both locally and globally, and it will have tremendous positive effects in the economy. Furthermore, the effects of introducing FinTech for eliminating Riba will be analyzed on economic and international trade activities by using aggregate expenditure (AE) and aggregate output model within the tenets of Islamic principles. Findings If Islamic banks (IBs) can introduce FinTech global network system where any client can buy or sell foreign currency at the same rate without any markup, it will increase the market share for IBs by increasing the number of customers and number of branches, and it will increase the inflow of funds and volumes of transactions, especially in international trade, global financial transactions and cross-border shopping. Such an increase in transactions will increase AE and AE will continuously shift up. Such an upward shift will have positive effects on equilibrium output, employment and prosperity. Originality/value This is, perhaps, one of the latest attempts to eliminate Riba from foreign exchange transactions by introducing FinTech IFfexBM in each and every locality. Such elimination of Riba will not only reduce the cost of cross-border transactions but it will also reduce cost in international trade and financial transactions among nations, and therefore, it will have expansionary effects on equilibrium output, employment and global prosperity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-243
Author(s):  
Adilson Anacleto1* ◽  
Luciane Scheuer1 ◽  
Amanda Casubek Cury ◽  
Luana Rodrigues de Azevedo de Oliveira

Abstract The flowers retail trade has shown good potential for development in agribusiness, despite the growth. Thus, in order to support a better understanding of the current scenario, it is presented the result of a research that sought to promote a classification by Porter’s Strategic Taxonomy, revealing what were the main lasting competitive advantages in the segment. In this context, a descriptive exploratory research was carried out between July and October 2019, where 23 flowers retailers in Paraná Coast, South of Brazil agreed to participate in the survey. The result of the classification of Porter’s taxonomy revealed that most retailers use the differentiation strategy (n = 52%), followed by the focus strategy (n = 48%), with no retailers that adopt the strategy of leadership in cost. The main threats from competitive forces were the bargaining power of the suppliers and the threat of substitute products. The main commercial tactics, which in the interviewees’ perception resulted in lasting competitive advantage, were the quality of the flowers sold, the experience in the flower segment that generated differentiated service, the offer of products different from the traditional ones and lower prices. The strategic typologies of Porter’s taxonomy adopted by retailers in Paraná Coast, in the current scenario, seem to be able to minimize the effects of competitive forces and they are able of generating sustainable competitive advantages.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-226
Author(s):  
Ricardo M. Piñeyro Prins ◽  
Guadalupe E. Estrada Narvaez

We are witnessing how new technologies are radically changing the design of organizations, the way in which they produce and manage both their objectives and their strategies, and -above all- how digital transformation impacts the people who are part of it. Even today in our country, many organizations think that digitalizing is having a presence on social networks, a web page or venturing into cases of success in corporate social intranet. Others begin to invest a large part of their budget in training their teams and adapting them to the digital age. But given this current scenario, do we know exactly what the digital transformation of organizations means? It is necessary? Implying? Is there a roadmap to follow that leads to the success of this process? How are organizations that have been born 100% digital from their business conception to the way of producing services through the use of platforms? What role does the organizational culture play in this scenario? The challenge of the digital transformation of businesses and organizations, which is part of the paradigm of the industrial revolution 4.0, is happening here and now in all types of organizations, whether are they private, public or third sector. The challenge to take into account in this process is to identify the digital competences that each worker must face in order to accompany these changes and not be left out of it. In this sense, the present work seeks to analyze the main characteristics of the current technological advances that make up the digital transformation of organizations and how they must be accompanied by a digital culture and skills that allow their successful development. In order to approach this project, we will carry out an exploratory research, collecting data from the sector of new actors in the world of work such as employment platforms in its various areas (gastronomy, delivery, transportation, recreation, domestic service, etc) and an analysis of the main technological changes that impact on the digital transformation of organizations in Argentina.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2021
Author(s):  
Vlado Popović ◽  
Milorad Kilibarda ◽  
Milan Andrejić ◽  
Borut Jereb ◽  
Dejan Dragan

Sustainable engineering is very important for logistics systems. Nowadays, sustainable warehouse management is a key factor in market success. Workforce fluctuation and inverting the number of customers’ demands make a lot of problems in distribution warehouses. This study addresses a sustainable approach for the workforce scheduling problem recognized in a real distribution warehouse. The problem arises from the high variability of demand for workers over one workday, which causes workforce surplus in some periods of the workday and shortages in others. Engineering managers of the distribution warehouse already use different full-time and part-time shifts, and schedule workers on different activities, but they still have significant workforce surpluses or shortages in some periods. This study proposes the scheduling of activities’ execution together with workers to face that variability and decrease the cost of the workforce. This idea comes from the fact that some activities in a distribution warehouse can be done in a specific time period after the need for them occurs. In this way, the variability of demand for workers can be decreased, and a lower workforce cost may be ensured. Based on this idea, the entire problem is modeled as integer linear programming. The real example of the problem is solved, and the proposed model is tested on randomly generated instances of the problem in Python by means of the PuLP linear programming package. The results indicate different positive effects in the manner of sustainable warehouse management: lower workforce costs, time savings, better utilization of all types of resources and equipment, increased employee satisfaction, and so on. For even 61% of instances of the introduced problem, the obtained cost of the workforce is lower by more than 20% if activities’ executions are scheduled together with employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluseyi Adebowale ◽  
Fredrick Simpeh

Purpose The increase in enrolment into higher education and the inadequate student housing in educational institutions has led to the growth of off-campus private student housing in Nigeria. Studentification as a research area has received attention in most countries in the global North, whereas there is dearth of studies on studentification in Nigeria. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the effects of studentification on the residents of selected Nigerian communities. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted an exploratory research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data from respondents, who were landlords and indigenous tenants of the host communities of two tertiary institutions. The data collected were analysed by means of the thematic analysis technique. Findings It became evident that studentification has some effects on the communities. Significant positive effects are business patronage and liveliness, while socio-economic-related factors, which include indecent clothing and theft, were noted as the most significant negative factors. Practical implications Implementing the outcomes of this study will contribute to promoting societal ethical values and economic prosperity of the communities. Originality/value The paper contributes to building the body of knowledge on the effect of studentification in the Nigerian context.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-263
Author(s):  
Rafael de Carvalho Mendes ◽  
Max Cirino de Mattos

ABSTRACT This paper presents the partial results of an ongoing research on the proposal of a methodology for the integration between Knowledge Management (KM) and World Class Manufacturing (WCM). The initial investigation of theoretical and conceptual nature aimed at developing a comprehensive and current vision on KM, WCM, and how (or "whether") these constructs relate to one another. The primary sources for the literature review were Web of Science, Scopus, Emerald, Ebsco, SciELO and Spell, and the time frame was 2000 to 2016. The analysis of the selected papers showed that, although the initial WCM model evolved into a "new WCM" in the 2000s, the literature is still focused on the broad conceptual aspects and basic methods and tools, such as Total Quality Process, Total Productive Maintenance and Just-in-Time, conceived in the Toyota Production System, which shows the need for more studies focused on the current scenario of companies associated with the "new WCM" and its Methods and Tools. Only one article explicitly addressing the interaction between KM theories with WCM was found in the databases surveyed, thus reinforcing the lack of theoretical approximation of these constructs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaustubh Jain ◽  
Jinendra Kumar Jain

The massive Indian market is changing fast. The pace of change is rapid with digital channels and constantly growing with volume and strength perpetually. Digital Marketing is really the High buzz in current scenario. It is one of those sectors in the marketing industry which is considered to be an experience an exponential growth due to this it makes studying about digital really interesting. At a high level, digital marketing refers to advertising of brands delivered through Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, mobile applications, website sales, social media, various e-mails to connect with current and prospective customers digitally. The term digital covers a wide range of marketing activities in current era, all of which are still not universally agreed upon, the current research focuses on the most common types of research which is known as exploratory research towards Digital Marketing in India. This issue raised is rarely been addressed by the academicians and researchers in Bhopal. The study used digital marketing parameters to measure the awareness and effectiveness of digital marketing among marketing professionals in Bhopal.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Zighan

Purpose This study aims to answer the question of how firms can deal with the great bullwhip effects caused by COVID-19? Design/methodology/approach An exploratory research method has been adopted and evidence was collected based on 41 online interviews. Findings The study finds that the bullwhip effect is caused by the sudden changes in customers purchasing behaviour during the pandemic and the businesses’ inaccurate anticipation of the situation. Managing the bullwhip effects caused by COVID-19 requires situation awareness, localisation and an intelligent supply chain. Situation awareness is a vital concept in emergency response, knowing what is going to figure out what should be done. Furthermore, reducing the geographical distances between the firm and other parties in the supply chain, which equates to supply chain localisation, enforces just-in-time inventory. Finally, supply chain digitalisation is no longer an option; implementing such a solution enables end-to-end visibility, collaboration, flexibility and optimisation of orchestration of the supply chain. Research limitations/implications This study presents indicators explaining how organisations can deal with the great bullwhip effects caused by COVID-19. Originality/value The ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant challenges for supply chain management, and this study contributes to the body of knowledge and proposes a model of reducing the bullwhip effects.


2011 ◽  
pp. 1552-1556
Author(s):  
Gary McI. Boyd ◽  
Dai Zhang

Entwistle (1981) found it was possible and useful to categorize students in three categories: surface learners who want to acquire and use specific knowledge and skills, deep learners who seek a deeper coherent understanding of a field, and credential seekers who want a good diploma and will do whatever may be necessary to get it. The surface learners do not need formal distance education degree studies; they can more and more readily find just-in-time just-on-topic e-learning for a modest price. So the main clientele for distance education institutions are and will continue to be both those wanting a really deep meaningful education, and those who need really respectable credentials who also lack convenient affordable access to traditional universities. More and more it is becoming incumbent upon us to cater to the credential seekers and help to socialize them into their chosen fields, if possible converting them into people proud to be deep learners. Such socialization is not possible if all one provides is a cafeteria of online courses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour ◽  
Thiago Pignatti de Freitas ◽  
Davi Fouad Soubihia ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour

Purpose – There are many arguments in the literature on environmental management stating that companies that have a significant environmental performance tend to be more competitive, because environmental management tends to generate positive effects on their operational performance. Despite the fact that such arguments are widely accepted, there is little empirical evidence yet of such a relationship in manufacturing contexts that are rarely studied thus far, such as those of developing countries. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – With the objective of testing the positive relationship between environmental performance and operational performance, this research presents the data of a survey conducted with 75 ISO 9001-certified Brazilian companies. Such data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Findings – The paper discovered that, indeed, environmental management relates in a positive, significant manner and large effect to the operational performance of companies. Originality/value – This is the first exploratory research relating environmental management and operational performance in Brazilian companies with ISO 9001.


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