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The study sets out to demonstrate how a lifecycle perspective on complex, public-sector procurement projects can be used for making qualitative assessments of procurement policy and practice and reveal those procurement capabilities that are most impactful for operating effectively.

Agency theory, institutional theory and the lifecycle analysis technique are combined to abductively develop a framework to identify, analyse and compare complex procurement policies and practices in public sector organisations. Defence is the focal case and is compared with cases in the Nuclear, Local Government and Health sectors.

The study provides a framework for undertaking a lifecycle analysis to understand the challenges and capabilities of complex, public-sector buyers. Eighteen hierarchically-arranged themes are identified and used in conjunction with agency theory and institutional theory to explain complex procurement policy and practice variation in some of the UK’s highest-profile public buyers. The study findings provide a classification of complex buyers and offer valuable guidance for practitioners and researchers navigating complex procurement contexts.

The lifecycle approach proposed is a new research tool providing a bespoke application of theory by considering each lifecycle phase as an individual but related element that is governed by unique institutional pressures and principal-agent relationships.

Following a crisis, stakeholders tend to appreciate costly organizational responses that attempt to reverse the harm caused by the organization. The deployment of reactive corporate social responsibility (CSR), defined as a CSR initiative explicitly promoted to make amends for a negative event, can thus be an effective crisis response strategy. However, existing studies suggest that this strategy could backfire, as it increases stakeholders’ skepticism regarding an organization’s motives to engage in CSR when this is only done under external pressure. Applying attribution theory, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the effectiveness of reactive CSR as a crisis response strategy depends on the positioning of the brand promoting it.

The authors use three between-subject experiments to test our hypotheses. In Studies 1 and 3, they consider a fictitious crisis scenario with a fictitious brand, and in Study 2, they test their hypotheses using existing brands involved in a fictitious crisis.

Compared to a purely verbal response (an apology), reactive CSR improves consumers’ responses when implemented by a brand positioned to focus on CSR rather than on performance. This effect is mediated by perceived brand benevolence: a brand focused on CSR is seen as more benevolent when proposing reactive CSR initiatives than a brand with a performance positioning. The effect holds even when the CSR positioning is not aligned with the reactive CSR domain. For a brand with a performance positioning, a costlier reactive CSR strategy is no more effective than an apology.

The study extends their understanding of how information on brand positioning influences reactive CSR in response to a crisis. Their analysis clarifies the circumstances under which reactive CSR can be an effective crisis response.

In May 2020, Kenya declared Gender-Based Violence (GBV) a health emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic and intimate partner violence typically rises during crises, regardless of economic status (Spangaro et al., 2021). Before COVID-19, around 45% of women and girls in Kenya had experienced violence (Musembi et al., 2022). Although Kenya’s constitution has addressed GBV since 2010 and gender equity initiatives have been promoted, the pandemic exacerbated GBV, particularly in rural areas, due to lockdowns and movement restrictions. This study examines the lessons learned from Kenya’s COVID-19 response and proposes policies and processes that integrate ethical leadership to effectively combat GBV and advance gender equity.

This exploratory phenomenology study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with pregnant women, mothers, policymakers and government representatives.

The qualitative narratives reveal several critical issues and areas for improvement in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Both policymakers and pregnant women highlighted a lack of effective leadership, public policy and application of gender equity principles, with deeply ingrained patriarchal norms hindering progress.

This study aims to improve responses to GBV during crises and promote gender equity through ethical leadership. By examining the impacts of COVID-19 on GBV and assessing the influence of intersectoral factors like employment, healthcare and financial aid, it seeks to provide actionable insights for effective interventions. The findings can inform strategies to prevent and address GBV in crises while ensuring inclusivity and justice. This aligns with international initiatives like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the “Leave No One Behind” agenda, fostering more resilient and equitable communities.

Ultra-processed food products are omnipresent in our homes and in grocery stores, and everybody consumes these food products once in a while. In this context, the present study aims to analyse what factors influence the consumption behaviour of ultra-processed food products and, more precisely, what factors drive consumer satisfaction and purchase intention of these food products in one specific market – Spain-.

A model of consumer behaviour of ultra-processed food products is proposed and analysed through structural equation modelling on a sample of 608 consumers.

Findings indicate that the effortlessness of ultra-processed food products, as well as their affordability, are the factors that exert the higher influence on consumer satisfaction and purchase intention of ultra-processed food products. On the other hand, the product quality and the ability to save time show a negative influence on both consumer satisfaction and intention to purchase. Contrary to the initial expectations, product convenience and the hedonistic nature of ultra-processed food products do not influence consumer behaviour.

Food policymakers and public health interventions may consider possible actions to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed food products, the reduction of their affordability through taxation or the compulsory inclusion of nutritional warnings in the front of the package to confront marketing actions developed by food companies.

This study examines the factors that drive the purchase and consumption of ultra-processed food products in one European mature market: Spain.

Brand reputation (BR) is one of the most important factors that affect the consumer–brand relationship and give businesses a competitive advantage. Businesses with a strong BR can increase their market shares and product market prices, in addition to gaining a competitive advantage. In order for businesses to have these advantages, they need to know and analyze their consumers. This study aimed to develop an alternative analysis method by using classification algorithms and regression analysis to measure and evaluate the effect of consumers' BR perceptions on their willingness to pay premium prices (WPP).

The research data were collected from 483 participants by the online survey method due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were first analyzed with regression analysis, and the effect of BR on WPP was found to be significant. Then, using artificial intelligence (AI) methods that were not used in previous studies, consumers' perceptions of BR and WPP were clustered and classified.

The results revealed the highest and lowest customer groups with BR and WPP and empirically demonstrated that highly accurate practical classification models can be applied to determine strategies in line with these findings.

The model proposed in this study offers an integrated approach by using AI and regression analysis together and tries to fill the gap in the literature in this field. Therefore, the novelty of this study is to quantitatively reveal and evaluate the relationship between BR and WPP by using AI classification algorithms and regression analysis together.

This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on the Broaden-and-Build theory (BBT) in marketing to consolidate its applications, examine its impact on consumer behavior and outline directions for future research.

Using the theory, context, characteristics, methodology framework, the authors analyzed 75 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus spanning 2000–2023. This review categorizes BBT’s integration in marketing, examining methodological trends, variable relationships and domain applications to reveal current research gaps.

Results indicate a growing integration of BBT in consumer behavior research, identifying six key application categories (e.g. brand loyalty and digital engagement) and eight recurring themes (e.g. cognitive broadening and resource-building). The findings show that, although BBT’s focus on positive emotions is established in traditional marketing, gaps remain in digital marketing, sales and tourism/hospitality, especially regarding BBT’s unique cognitive and resource-building effects on consumer engagement.

This review’s focus on English-language, peer-reviewed sources may limit comprehensiveness.

This study offers actionable strategies for marketers to apply BBT, suggesting the design of emotionally resonant campaigns that enhance digital engagement, foster brand loyalty and maximize consumer well-being.

This paper maps BBT’s underexplored domains in marketing, emphasizing its theoretical and practical applications. It uncovers the relationship between positive emotions and consumer engagement, demonstrating how BBT can inform effective marketing strategies in areas such as digital engagement and brand loyalty, thus offering a roadmap for future research.