Impact of pandemics on humanitarian retailing operations: A voucher's case

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Mohamadi, Navid; Bakhishi, Hataw; Transchel, Sandra; Besiou, Maria
• 署名单位: Kuhne Logistics University
• 刊物名称: PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1059-1478
• DOI: 10.1111/poms.13690
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 1512-1528
• 关键词: cash and vouchers assistance; COMPETITION; humanitarian operations; Pandemics; retail operations; simulation

摘要

In 2020, the world started a fight against a pandemic that has severely disrupted commercial and humanitarian supply chains. Humanitarian organizations (HOs), like the World Food Programme (WFP), adjusted their programs in order to manage this pandemic. One such program is cash and voucher assistance (CVA), which is used to bolster beneficiaries' freedom of choice regarding their consumption. In this vein, WFP supports local retailers to provide CVA to beneficiaries who do not have access to a functioning market. However, the operations of these stores can suffer from a very high transmission risk of COVID-19 unless preventive measures are put in place to reduce it. This paper discusses strategies that retailers and HOs can enact to maximize their service and dignity levels while minimizing transmission risk under a CVA program during a pandemic. We argue that HOs providing CVA programs can improve their assistance during a pandemic by implementing strategies that impact the retailing operations of their retailers.