Relationship sustainability-store equity across segments of retail customers

PurposeThe study of sustainability in retail has experienced an exponential interest in recent years as a result of greater awareness on the part of consumers of the negative effects of the current way of producing and consuming on society and the environment. This work examines the heterogeneous evaluation based on behavioural variables in retail trade and how consumer perceptions towards sustainable practices implemented in stores can influence the overall store equity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a theoretical model based on the literature, tested through a mixed regression model in a sample of 510 customers of food retail establishments.FindingsThe dimensions of sustainability are postulated as driving forces of brand equity towards the retail establishment. Specifically, social sustainability shows a greater impact on consumer perception, being the main factor in the development of the store's brand equity. Furthermore, the analysis of unobserved heterogeneity identifies three latent classes in which the effects of perceptions on sustainable retail activities vary across consumer segments.Originality/valueThe study analyses in a single model the effect of sustainability dimensions on store equity from the consumer's perspective, analysing the differences between these relationships as a consequence of the unobserved heterogeneity of consumers.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

The paper analyses the response of the international development system aimed at offsetting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in less developed countries through the prism of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We apply a mixed-method approach, comparing the response of the international development system to the international cooperation targets under Goal 17 of the SDGs. The results of a comparative-historic analysis, the conceptualization and operationalization of key concepts, the case-study analysis, a secondary statistical analysis, and a secondary sources analysis indicate that the tools envisaged by SDG 17 for its implementation (increase of several financial resources for development, debt relief, COVAX, etc.) have not been adequately used by the international communit y to counter the impact of COVID-19 on development. © 2022 Historical Society of Southern Primorska of Koper. All rights reserved.

GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

The paper analyses the response of the international development system aimed at offsetting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in less developed countries through the prism of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We apply a mixed-method approach, comparing the response of the international development system to the international cooperation targets under Goal 17 of the SDGs. The results of a comparative-historic analysis, the conceptualization and operationalization of key concepts, the case-study analysis, a secondary statistical analysis, and a secondary sources analysis indicate that the tools envisaged by SDG 17 for its implementation (increase of several financial resources for development, debt relief, COVAX, etc.) have not been adequately used by the international community to counter the impact of COVID-19 on development. © 2022, Historical Society of Southern Primorska of Koper. All rights reserved.

Reinvigorating Policy and Modifying Practices: Lessons Learned from Indonesia's South-South Cooperation during COVID-19

The COVID-19 global pandemic has severely impacted and challenged the globalized world. In the pre-pandemic era, human mobility and connectivity became the beacon toward developing cooperation, but now, countries are facing the consequences of lockdowns and other restrictions. However, this chapter argues that the global crisis still highlights the need for countries to continually expand cooperation as in the case of Indonesia. This chapter addresses critical questions: how the Indonesian government regulates and implements its South-South Cooperation (SSC) policy during the pandemic and what are the implications for future cooperation. Adjustment and alteration to Indonesia's SSC policy cannot be avoided in response to President Joko Widodo's policy directions. Therefore, the implementations of the development cooperation program have been modified with a new approach like the online technical cooperation training program. The challenges and opportunities for developing a coherent policy and implementing it during the COVID- 19 pandemic should be acknowledged as it gives value to Indonesia's roles in SSC. With the lessons learned from the implementation of the program, the roles of the state in extending national policy became more significant during this crisis. © 2022 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

Development policy from a systemic perspective: changes, trends and its future role within a broader framework for transnational co-operation

Over the past decade a number of changes can be observed within the development policy system. This paper presents and discusses these changes along three dimensions: narratives, strategies and operational approaches. Changes are manifold, ranging from the application of new narratives, such as the migration narrative, to alternations in strategic objectives (e.g. developing countries’ graduation issues), new instruments (in the form of development finance at the interface with the private sector), and the application of new concepts for project implementation (e.g. through frontier technologies). We discuss the implications and effects of these changes for the current and potential future role of the development policy system, as well as preliminary ideas for a concept of global co-operation for sustainable development (GCSD), spanning beyond the development policy system.

Cities, COVID-19, and International Development Cooperation: Challenges and Opportunities

In the twenty-first century, cities are prominent players on the international scene and have been considered to be a platform for development, increasing the standard of living for their residents. The emergence of COVID-19 signifies a critical challenge for the fight against poverty, the increase in the quality of life, the development of the world population, and the reputation of multilateralism to overcome global problems. In this unexpected context, cities have been at the center of the pandemic, but at the same time, cities can be a fundamental part of the solution. In this article, we analyze the evolution of cities in the international arena to rethink how cities can be a relevant international actor boosting the International Development Cooperation (IDC) in a postpandemic world. The starting point is that the COVID-19 outbreak increases the importance of cities in solving global problems through building or reinforcing international networks to overcome the crisis. During the pandemic, many cities have not only responded in an agile, flexible, and adequate manner, but have also woven international collaboration networks to share knowledge and give and receive international aid. In this sense, the actions of cities in the field of international cooperation were a valuable tool to increase the capacity of cities to be resilient. Also, we analyze the traditional role of cities in the architecture of IDC, showing that cities are not newcomer actors on the international scene. Additionally, we discuss sustainable cities and communities as a specific goal of the Sustainable Development Goals as a result of the recognition of their value as important actors for achieving many of the objectives of sustainable development. Finally, we conclude with a series of recommendations on how cities can contribute to the development path from the new environment caused by the pandemic. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Aid's silent revolution?

After decades of progress on a number of development parameters such as poverty reduction, hunger, and child and maternal health, we now see an emerging pessimism related to the international society's ability to solve global challenges. Indeed, the world seems increasingly embroiled by crises of a global nature, whether it's the ongoing economic and health crisis caused by Covid-19 or the weather extremes caused by climate change. Although not explicitly recognized, these developments are fundamentally changing international development cooperation. Foreign aid is increasingly directed towards global public goods such as climate, pandemics, the oceans and biodiversity. Norway is leading the pack with more than 20 percent of its earmarked aid addressing global public goods. Resources for poverty alleviation among the world's poorest nations has come under increasing pressure from these global public goods and confronts us with fundamental questions about what foreign aid has become, and what it should be. © 2021 Universitetsforlaget AS. All rights reserved.

Whose Knowledge? Whose Influence? Changing Dynamics of China's Development Cooperation Policy and Practice*

This article aims to investigate the recent evolution of China's development policy and practice. More precisely, how do China's policymakers and practitioners understand and debate China's role in international development, specifically in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic? China's growing development activities overseas, particularly in the African continent, have spurred intense debate over its role as a rising power in international development. China is viewed in the West both as a threat and as a valuable potential partner in development cooperation. However, differences between Western and Chinese conceptions of development have complicated cooperation and understanding of China's development policy. Further understanding of these differences is needed, in order to evaluate their implications for low-income countries, and for potential trilateral cooperation.