Os impactos do COVID-19 no consumo de bens básicos e suas implicações na gestão da logística urbana

O objetivo desta pesquisa é caracterizar o comportamento do consumidor e a percepção do lojista quanto às compras de suprimentos básicos, antes e durante o COVID-19, assim como relacionar os comportamentos e percepções dos agentes com os desafios da logística urbana de abastecimento do mercado. Foram aplicados dois questionários em regiões classificadas como BOP (Base of Pyramid) e feitas análises descritivas e multivariadas por meio da análise de cluster. A pesquisa mostra que há um aumento na frequência de compra dos consumidores no período de pandemia, o que aumenta também a demanda dos lojistas e as necessidades logísticas das regiões, que apresentam-se debilitadas principalmente pela falta de vagas para carga e descarga e infraestrutura viária. Os resultados mostram que houve um aumento de compras por aplicativos de entrega durante a pandemia e que parece ser uma tendência, o que poderá exigir dessas regiões uma melhor infraestrutura viária para veículos de grande porte (usados por fornecedores) e veículos leves (usados por entregadores).

Scaling Impact Investment for Sustainable Development Goals: An Empirical Analysis

Impact Investing is a community of investors willing to create social and environmental impact along with financial returns by investing either directly with Base of Pyramid[1] (BoP) enterprises or indirectly through enterprises that help in creating impact by investing in BoP organizations. Adoption of SDGs[2] quantified the expectation paradigm of the global community for social, environmental and economic achievable and projected/targeted achievement of SDGs by 2030 made the governments, businesses, institutions daunted with the task in hand hence, it is imperative for investing community to contribute its share as well. With high social need and underserved population India has become a test bed for impact investing. However, with increasing impact investing, Impact Measurement and Management (IMM) gains significant importance as it allows investors to evaluate impact and channelize fund to most effective solutions. The present study conducted for year 2019 not only attempts to explore impact investing landscape in India and its future dimension but it simultaneously does content analysis of impact report of investors using impact value chain[3] and indicators developed on the basis of SDGs targets and indicators. The analysis aims to establish a link between developed indicators and impact, the link once established, developed indicators will provide agile, cost effective, quantifiable and measurable basis to impact that has worldwide acceptance. [1]Base of Pyramid refers to the poorest two-third of the economic human pyramid living in abject poverty. [2]SDGs, adopted in 2015 by all UN member states, are universally accepted goals and targets under goals to guide sustainable development and create a sustainable world for all. [3]Impact Value chain is a tool build on theory of change to illustrate how enterprise activities lead to desired outcome and impact by setting a relationship between activities, output, outcome and impact.

Towards Sustainable Base of Pyramid Market: Role of ICTs in Shared Innovation

The purpose of this paper is to make a systematic review of the literature on role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in sustainability of the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) markets by studying the impact of ICT on innovation development at BOP. BOP markets are those segments of the global markets that have an income of about two to four dollars or less and are untapped fortunes for the business (Prahalad, 2002). BOP is fraught with dearth of infrastructure and resources which makes it hard for business firms to work out viable and sustainable strategies as the separations between the producers and end users are much wider in these markets compared with developed markets. Use of ICT helps reduce these separations by developing shared innovations with the people at BOP. Systematic literature review approach has been adopted to analyze the peer-reviewed journals for the period 2000 to 2019 using Google Scholar and Science Direct. BOP, ICT and Shared Innovations were the key words used in this search. Our findings suggest that ICT has significant role in development of shared innovations at the BOP markets as it bridges the physical market separation with its internet and web-based networks. This research has implications for busines managers, as it will guide them in making viable and sustainable strategies to run their businesses in these huge un-tapped markets.

Market Development and Value Creation for Low Socioeconomic Segments in Emerging Markets: An Integrated Perspective Using the 4A Framework

This article uses the 4A framework (awareness, acceptability, affordability, accessibility) to examine the impact of marketing activities on market development (i.e., access to markets, access to people) and value creation (financial value and relationship value) in low-income segments in emerging markets. Using cross-national survey data spanning mobile phone users in five emerging Asian markets (countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), the study findings provide empirical support for the 4A framework for small farmers and business persons (i.e., low-income entrepreneurs) in these markets. The study uniquely contributes to the base of pyramid literature in emerging markets since the 4A marketing framework has not been studied for its effectiveness on micro-entrepreneurs so far. This article also contributes to research and practice by showing how market development and value creation go hand-in-hand for micro-entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Preliminary Stability and Resistance Analysis of the Cheops Boat

The Cheops Boat is the most complete, largest, and one of the oldest boats ever excavated, but it has received surprisingly little study by Naval Architects. The 43-m boat was constructed around 2500 BC and placed, disassembled, in a pit next to the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. Since its discovery in 1954, there has been speculation about its original design, means of propulsion, and purpose. This article presents previously unpublished results of the first tank testing of a model of the Cheops Boat and some preliminary conclusions about the design, propulsion, and function of the original. It is shown that the stability characteristics of the boat make it suited for carrying lightweight cargo and people in the protected waters of the Nile. Towing tests have shown that the boat can be safely rowed in a variety of wind and current conditions. Windward sailing calculations have shown that, if fitted with sail, then boats such as the Cheops Boat perform well downwind, but sail no closer than a beam reach. During the 1954 clearing of debris from the Giza Plateau, it was noticed that the Great Pyramid's north and west enclosure walls were 23.6m from the base of pyramid, but the south wall was 5mcloser to the base. Careful inspection revealed that the south wall had been built in an asymmetrical location to conceal two boat pits beneath it. The two pits were end to end, one covered by 41 massive limestone blocks and the other by 40. When the eastern pit was opened, the remains of the disassembled boat were revealed. Figure 1 shows photographs of some of the pieces as they were removed from the pit. Remarkably, the 4500-year-old cedar had been so well preserved that it was possible to reassemble this boat like a kit. Even the rope was preserved, and looked like what could be bought today.

What makes the base of the pyramid susceptible to investment fraud

Purpose Dubious investment schemes by unlisted companies are alluring individual investors at the base of the pyramid to invest money and lose them. The purpose of the abstract is to identify the factors that induce the people at base-of-pyramid (BoP) to invest in fraudulent schemes. Design/methodology/approach Open-ended interviews of people at the BoP from areas in and around Kharagpur town in West Bengal were conducted. Through open coding, codes, categories and themes were generated. Findings Interpersonal trusts form the central feature of investment fraud. The personal relationship among the community members helps these schemes thrive. False hopes of higher returns within a short span combined with constraints of accessing banking services is another motivation for the people at the base of the pyramid to fall prey to these schemes. With limited education, they find these investment avenues convenient providing scope to the perpetrators of fraud to exploit them. To curb these dubious schemes to flourish and exploit the people at the BoP, financial inclusion on a large scale is required. Moreover, the government should take steps to educate the mass at the base of the pyramid. Originality/value This study offers new insights on the victims of investment fraud in India those belonging to the economically weak groups and lower income groups comprising together as the BoP) of the society.