Chari: A FMCG B2B platform with incorporation of Fintech

Morocco is an African country containing a very large market for e-commerce, which further expanded during the 2020–2022 COVID-19 pandemic. However, a few obstacles, like low internet penetration and lack of digital payment systems, are acting as obstacles for the local e-commerce service providers to reach potential in the country. Chari is one such B2B company whose operations changed the landscape of logistics and distribution among the FMCG businesses in Morocco. The company also exercises a B2B2C model, which it achieved through acquiring Karny.ma and Axa Credit, enabling its customers to use a lending and financial transaction tracking model. However, the industry is quite competitive, with offline retailers like TradeDepot, WaystoCap (acquired by MaxAB), and Sokowatch deciding to exploit the possibilities online. Apart from the rising competition, Chari still faces challenges in additional expansion due to the improper and inadequate infrastructure of the country. However, if it can overcome the external threats and utilize the geographical location of Morocco to its advantage, Chari has enormous potential to flourish both locally and globally. © Association for Information Technology Trust 2023.

Challenges faced by small enterprises in Bangladesh: the case of JNA Pulp paper business

This practitioner paper presents the case of a small paper business named JNA Pulp, initiated with the vision to provide high-quality imported paper to the market. The paper discusses several hurdles faced by the company which eventually pushed the owner to contemplate shutting down the business in the first quarter of 2020. With the rise of COVID-19, it was clear that considering the stance of the business in local market, survival would be impossible. Using the Fishbone analysis, the paper analyses the problems that lead to the closure of this business in April 2020 and further evaluates the strategies that could possibly contribute towards the survival of small businesses in the domestic market. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Corporate social responsibility in the wake of COVID-19: multiple cases of social responsibility as an organizational value

Purpose Although corporate social responsibility is a well-researched concept, very few studies have studied organizational social responsibility in the face of internal/external crises. Therefore, this paper aims to examine various firms' organizational social responses to COVID-19 as an external crisis, particularly in terms of the way organizations use their resources to address social problems and the real intention behind these, and the changing organizational drivers influencing such behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The authors explore the initiatives of seven organizations from three different industries in several countries and their actions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A case study approach was taken to collect data and reach a conclusion. A combination of interviews, online communication using semi-structured questionnaires and documentary information available in the public domain was used to collect data and analyze and triangulate the events. Findings Similar internal resources and capacities of the seven organizations resulted in similar responses as they launched proactive initiatives to prepare sanitizers. This research indicates that these organizations pursued other goals besides economic one. When society needed help, these organizations responded quickly, using and reorganizing their resources to assist communities in need. Different organizations from different sectors all behaved in a similar manner, making genuine contributions to the pandemic as each was uniquely capable of doing. These organizations also used their unique capabilities to offer their resources to local communities and governments. Originality/value During the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts by corporate entities to facilitate social reform and recovery have been seen around the globe. The findings could help in understanding the responses of organizations engaging in socially responsible behaviors to overcome external crises. This paper also identifies changing organizational values and their possible impact on society and overall industry philanthropy practices in the future.