Public Purchasing Research Articles

"Games being played": a US exploration of market strategies used by the beverage industry as experienced by food retailers.

The beverage industry's role in undermining nutrition-related population health is a growing global concern. Industry strategies that affect policy, science, and public opinion are increasingly exposed. However, those used in the retail space-known as market strategies-remain largely unspecified. The purpose of this study was to uncover the market strategies beverage companies use with US retailers to secure their influence and control in the primary setting where the public purchases their products-food retail. We conducted a qualitative study based on multiple data sources: 49 interviews with industry insiders, including chain retail managers, independent store owners, and sales representatives and distributors of major food and beverage companies; 15 business files shared by participants, including written beverage marketing agreements and contracts; and 27 purposively sampled, publicly-available industry documents. All data were thematically analyzed. We identified that beverage agreements, which dictate the products, space, marketing, and prices of company products in retail settings, are universal regardless of the retailer's market size. While ubiquitous, the agreement terms, services, and treatment beverage companies provided varied widely-with large US retail chains receiving superior opportunities, such as financial incentives and additional services, and independent and small chain retailers often experiencing disadvantaged, more expensive, non-negotiable terms. Despite this, companies also used several strategies that diminished concerns of differential treatment and thus effectively managed their reputation among independent and small chain retailers. Findings suggest a use of the consolidated power among beverage companies with significant implications for the healthfulness of food retail settings. We conclude by highlighting key policy and legal targets that could be leveraged in the US to address power imbalances in the retailer-beverage company relationship and ultimately shift retail towards promoting public health.

EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS INTO CENTRALIZED PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: A CASE STUDY

This study case analyzes the implementation of the centralized model of public procurement by the Executive Branch of the Brazilian State of Amapa. Therefore, there is following research question: did the implementation of the centralized model result in improvements in the public procurement process in Amapa? In addition, the adopted methodology is based on a case study, as well as on the collection of information in official systems, added bibliographical and documentary research, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. As a result, it was found that, from a general perspective, the centralized model works well in the State, however adjustments and improvements are necessary in areas of the centralized model that still require investments, such as planning, procedural agility and articulation with some bodies and entities of State. The findings provide insights into centralized public purchases in a Brazilian state and allow rise up hypothesis about similar experiences in another places (countries, states, municipalities). The compreension about Purchase Centrals it is a relevant tool into test how governments establishment suas procurement strategies and how to maximize the public spend getting economy and celerity.

The impact of public self-consciousness on purchase intentions: Roles of self-disclosure and avatar identification

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between public self-consciousness and purchase intention and the role of self-disclosure and avatar identification in the metaverse. We conducted an online survey with 173 young female Zepeto users in Vietnam to test our hypotheses and gain insights. The results show that all direct effects in this research are supported and that self-disclosure and avatar identification (including similarity identification and wishful identification) partially moderate the relationship between public self-consciousness and purchase intention. This study adds to the literature review of user behaviors in the metaverse environment and provides insights for metaverse marketers to improve marketing strategies.

Determinants of Intention to Choose Halal Certified Restaurant in West Java

The establishment of halal-labeled restaurants that offer a diverse range of food and beverages is in line with the growing awareness of halal certification. However, the importance of halal certification was not fully known by the public. This study aimed to investigate the potential influence of knowledge, attitude, and religiosity on consumers' purchase interest in halal restaurants in West Java. In addition, certain eateries emphasize the natural and cultural aspects of the region. The varied traditional cuisine, business centers, and the presence of Muslim communities make West Java an attractive destination for those seeking a religiously oriented and convenient dining experience. This study used primary data collected from 100 respondents through a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. The study utilized purposive sampling, a type of non-probability sampling, and employed multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS version 29 for data analysis, the study was conducted in 3 stages, namely t-test, f-test, and coefficient of determination test. The findings indicate that attitude and religiosity factors influence consumer purchase intention at the halal restaurant. Conversely, knowledge was not proven to significantly affect public purchase intention at the halal restaurant in this study. This research has significant implications for halal restaurant owners. Halal restaurant owners in West Java can better understand the needs and preferences of Muslim consumers, strengthen their market position, and promote the growth of the halal industry in the region.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Sustainable Public Purchasing (SPP) in Egypt Applied on ‘Kader Factory’ for Advanced Industries

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Sustainable Public Purchasing (SPP) in Egypt Applied on ‘Kader Factory’ for Advanced Industries

O PAPEL DAS COMPRAS PÚBLICAS EM DEFESA COMO O NOVO VETOR DE DESENVOLVIMENTO NACIONAL

This article discusses the importance of the defense industry as a driver of innovation and economic growth in the country. With the intensification of geopolitical challenges and the need to modernize the Armed Forces, Brazil has invested in acquisitions that encourage research and technological development. The proposed research analyzes how these strategic public purchases can not only strengthen military capacity, but also stimulate national industry, generating skilled jobs and promoting technology transfer. Collaboration between the government and the private sector is essential to maximize the benefits of these acquisitions, allowing technological advances to have a positive impact on various sectors such as health, energy and transport. In addition, these defense acquisitions can serve as an industrial policy tool, guiding investments in priority areas and contributing to the country's strategic autonomy. In this context, the research aims to demonstrate how defense acquisitions and orders are an essential vector for economic and technological development, with the potential to transform industrial capacity and national competitiveness in a global scenario.

A Quest for State Contracts: Public Procurement and the Shaping of Competitiveness in Development Consulting

What does it take to win a public contract in development consulting? I address this question based on interviews with 27 public buyers and private vendors of consulting services in Sweden, as well as an in-depth archival analysis of the consultancy procurements undertaken by the Swedish public aid agency, Sida, during 2018–2020. Results point to three dimensions of competitiveness in consulting: social, organizational and individual. These unravel a number of contradictions in contracting practices and discourses, tied to Sida’s evolving negotiation of new public management paradigms. Specifically, they illustrate how success in tendering depends not (only) on adhering to free-market ideals of cost-efficiency or public sector tenets of transparency and fairness. Importantly, it relies on relational labour and investments in the largely informal social fabric of contracting.

Public purchase of innovation for sustainable solar urban energy systems

Public purchase of innovation for sustainable solar urban energy systems

The Influence of Environmental Consciousness, Environmental Concern, Perceived Value, Perceived Risk on Purchase Intention Through Product Trust Mediation: Study of the Recycled Product Industry in Banten Province

The waste problem requires a multidimensional approach, especially in processing and sorting at the source, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of achieving zero waste in the future. The waste bank program has been introduced to support waste reduction and the circular economy, but public interest in recycled products remains low. Banten Province, one of the five provinces with the highest waste tonnage in Indonesia in 2022, showed interest of only 19.3%. This study aims to identify the factors influencing public purchase intention of recycled products, with product trust as a mediating variable. Through online questionnaires and data analysis using SEM PLS, involving 158 respondents in Banten Province, it was found that environmental consciousness, environmental concern, perceived value, and perceived risk significantly influence the purchase intention of recycled products. Additionally, these factors also significantly affect product trust. Mediation analysis shows that product trust can mediate the relationship between environmental consciousness and environmental concern with purchase intention, but it is not optimal in mediating the impact of perceived value and perceived risk. Recommendations for environmental activists in Banten Province include increasing the credibility and clarity of information regarding recycled products, as well as ensuring the cleanliness and safety of these products to directly enhance public purchase intention and support the circular economy in Banten Province.

Islamic Economic Approach to Strengthening Public Purchasing Power through Price Stabilisation Policy

Islamic Economic Approach to Strengthening Public Purchasing Power through Price Stabilisation Policy

Indirect Savings from Public Procurement Centralization

Centralization of public procurement can lower prices for the government’s direct purchase of goods and services. This paper focuses on indirect savings. Public administrations that do not procure directly through a central procurement agency might benefit from the availability of centrally procured goods. We exploit the introduction of a central purchasing agency in Italy and find that prices came down by 22 percent among administrations that bought autonomously. These indirect effects appear to be driven by informational externalities, especially for less competent public buyers purchasing technologically more complex goods. Accounting for indirect savings increases the estimate of direct ones. (JEL D83, H57, H83)

Micro and Small Companies: Economic Impacts of Differentiated Legislation and Government Interventions

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the economic analysis of law as a methodological framework to evaluate state intervention in favor of micro (ME) and small businesses (EPP), with the aim of understanding how such interventions can influence growth, the innovation and competitiveness of these companies, as well as their contribution to economic development. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories that underpin the research are presented. Public policy theories, development economics and organizational theory stand out, providing a solid basis for understanding the impact of state interventions on ME and EPP. Theoretical models and case studies illustrate a variety of approaches and results. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a deductive study, using both quantitative and qualitative data. Data collection was carried out through documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires applied to ME and EPP representatives, in addition to statistical analyzes to evaluate indicators of growth, innovation, employment capacity and financial sustainability. Results and Discussion: The results obtained revealed that state intervention, through subsidies, advantageous tax policies, training programs and facilitating access to public purchases, can have significant impacts on ME and EPP. The analysis showed sustainable growth, innovation and job creation, although the effectiveness of interventions is intrinsically linked to factors such as appropriate policy design, effective coordination between government bodies and the ability to adapt to the specific needs of each sector and region. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into how the results can be applied or influence practices in the field of economic development and public policy for ME and EPP. These implications could range from improving existing policies, formulating new state intervention strategies, and identifying areas for future research. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of the economic analysis of law in the evaluation of public policies aimed at ME and EPP. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the innovative approach and findings that can impact the formulation and implementation of effective policies, promoting the sustainable growth and competitiveness of these companies.

Impact of Public Purchasing Platform‘s CSV on Trust, Quality of Information Exchange and Long-term Orientation

Impact of Public Purchasing Platform‘s CSV on Trust, Quality of Information Exchange and Long-term Orientation

A eficiência e celeridade nas compras públicas: um estudo sobre os principais fatores de influência

The principle of efficiency must be a constant obstinacy of the public administration. This paper investigated the variables that impact the efficiency of public purchases, focusing on the celerity, specifically in the internal phase named “Pregão” modality, through a quantitative approach. This is a case study of forty-nine processes that occurred between 2020 and 2021 within the Ministry of Justice. Through linear regression, with the dependent variable representing the total time of the internal phase, the variable representing the time for drafting the Terms of Reference increases the duration of the process, while the duration of the Preliminary Technical Study reduces the bidding period. In logistic regression, the time spent preparing the Terms of Reference had a positive impact on the probability of generating items not awarded, while the time spent preparing the price survey reduced this probability. In conclusion, it is pointed out that the administration's opportunity to reduce the time of development of the Terms of Reference and to give greater attention to the Preliminary Technical Study and price research.

‘AN APT OR AN INAPT INTERVENTION?’: THE POLITICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) IN SOUTH AFRICA

Based on the theoretical insights of desk research and critical analysis, respectively, this article interrogates and critically evaluates the political education program which the currently governing African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa launched and began implementing in 2019 through the OR Tambo School of Leadership. It raises questions and casts doubts about the program’s pertinence, its potency for wider public buy in, and its chances of success within the presently volatile and adverse South African social, economic, and political climate. As well as teasing out the issue of whether the program represents what the country really needs at the present juncture of its democracy, it is also contended that there are many factors / hurdles that are both intrinsic and extrinsic which are highly likely to obviate the program’s wider public buy in and the success thereof. It is further contended that the adoption and implementation of the said program has not only been an inapt, untimely, and a knee-jerk intervention but also that it is to all intents and purposes an exercise in red herring and clutching at straws, and therefore peripheral to the more pressing political and policy issues that lie at the heart of the problems which beset both the ANC as the governing party and the country at large. The article concludes by predicting the foundering of the said program and posits the notion of a broad-based, nationalistic-oriented, and inclusive civic education program, as opposed to a political party-driven one such as that of the ANC, as a viable alternative for the country going forward.

The Member States in the EU Food System: National Regulatory Options for Sustainable Food Offer, Food Consumption and Food Environments

AbstractThe Framework for Sustainable Food Systems law will either not be published at all or after a long delay. Whereas the first part of the article constructs an empirical and theoretical underpinning about why the EU Member States should therefore act on food sustainability, the second part focuses on what legal measures Member States can take.In the first part, leaning on food systems thinking, we argue that in the absence of EU action in the matter, the Member States remain the most potent lever for taking regulatory action on addressing sustainability in the food system.In the second part, the article provides an exploratory study of potential national legal instruments for making domestic food systems more sustainable, with an emphasis on the regulation of offer and consumption of foods and food environments. The article discusses the following legal instruments in the context of EU law and Member States’ room for action, with examples from a comparative perspective: public procurement purchasing by governments, product composition requirements, fiscal measures, non-fiscal pricing instruments, labelling & certification, marketing, and the regulation of private and public food environments. The article further concludes that it may prove useful to better enshrine the food sustainability paradigm in law at national level.

The effect of the implementation of quick responses indonesia standard (qris) on public purchase interest in the Lama market of Serang City

The QRIS implementation system policy is contained in the Board of Governors Regulation Number 21/18/PADG/2019 concerning the Implementation of the Quick Response Code National Standard for payments, which explains that QRIS transactions are directed to be in line with the Banten Provincial Government program, namely SIAP QRIS. Banten region occupies the top 5 positions as the province with the most QRIS users. One of these SIAP QRIS programs is focused on the Lama market of Serang City. A descriptive quantitative method was used in conducting this research. This research also has a limitation, namely in discussing how much influence the QRIS application has on buying interest. It is carried out on the population of Serang City, which has a total of 730,530 people. A sample was drawn using the Slovin formula with an MoR of 10%, namely 100 respondents. This study also aims to prove the influence of applying QRIS on buying interest. The determination of respondents is carried out as one of the instruments, namely using the purposive sampling technique. The results obtained based on field findings and the calculation results show that the Lama market in terms of provision has not been maximized, but the payment method is very reliable. It can be seen in the final calculation results that the variable (x) QRIS application and the variable (y) purchase interest influence 28.3%. In addition, variable (x) and variable (y) show a strong correlation indicated by the acquisition of a Pearson Correlation value of 0.532.

Comparative evaluation of dissolution profiles of the generic drug lamivudine 150 mg tablet marketed in Peru vs. the innovative Epivir.

Lamivudine is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world, and is used to treat human immunodeficiency and hepatitis B. This study aimed to evaluate the quality attributes and compare the dissolution profiles of two batches (A and B) of generic lamivudine 150 mg tablets with the innovator drug Epivir 150 mg tablets. We conducted an analytical, experimental, cross-sectional study, and used a spectrophotometric method at a wavelength of maximum absorption (λ) corresponding to 270 nm, to measure the percentage of dissolved drug. The study evaluated identification, content, dissolution and mass uniformity. Apparatus 2 USP (Paddle) 75 rpm, 900 mL of dissolution medium (37 ± 0.5 °C) was used in three dissolution media: pH 1.2; 4.5 and 6.8. Samples of 5 mL were obtained at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min. Both batches of generic lamivudine (A and B) were found to have the same dissolution kinetic profile as the innovator drug. Both formulations met the criteria of very fast dissolving (85% dissolved in 15 min), and fast dissolving (85% dissolved in 30 min) drugs. Therefore, it was not necessary to calculate the similarity factor. We concluded that generic drugs A and B are in vitro equivalents to the innovator drug Epivir. Motivation for the study. To evaluate the quality of antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV dispensed in the HAART Program of the Ministry of Health of Peru. Main findings. Two batches of generic lamivudine drugs were found to achieve a dissolution rate greater than 85% at 15 min, being equivalent in vitro to the reference product Epivir. Implications. There is a need to apply the current regulations regarding equivalence between drugs by the regulatory authority prior to their authorization and to include dissolution profile tests as a requirement in public drug purchases, especially in national strategies (HIV, TB, etc.), in order to ensure quality products for the population.

Sustainability Clauses in ‘Public’ Contracts

Abstract Under the Public Sector Directive, public buyers are allowed to include sustainability considerations in their purchasing decisions within the limits of the principles of procurement. This framework allows criteria linked to the subject matter to be contractualised. Though different criteria are widely employed in public procurement within the umbrella of sustainable public procurement, the literature mostly focuses on stages leading to the contract award instead of considering the public contract as a document incorporating contractual obligations. On the other side, green and social commitments in (business) contracts are considerations that are not necessarily linked to the subject matter. Though their value is acknowledged, their enforcement proves to be challenging due to the restraints of contract law. By using European contract law as a reference point, this paper compares sustainability clauses in business contracts to sustainability clauses in public contracts – to determine whether the EU regime applicable to public contracts offers solutions to these hurdles.

Responsibly Buying Artificial Intelligence: A ‘Regulatory Hallucination’

Abstract As part of its ‘pro-innovation’ approach to artificial intelligence (AI), the UK has left public sector AI procurement and deployment to ‘regulation by contract’ based on thin guidance. Borrowing from the description of AI ‘hallucinations’ as plausible but incorrect answers given with high confidence by AI systems, I argue that this is a ‘regulatory hallucination’: an incorrect answer to the challenge of regulating the procurement and use of AI by the public sector. The pretence that public buyers can ‘confidently and responsibly procure AI technologies’ can generate individual harms and broader negative social effects as the public sector ramps up AI adoption and accumulates a potentially significant stock of AI deployments across all areas of public sector activity. I sketch an alternative strategy to boost the effectiveness of the goals of AI regulation and the protection of individual rights and collective interests through the creation of an independent authority.