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The study aims to investigate how stakeholders in the UK farm-to-retail lamb value chain fared in the wake of Britain’s formal exit from the European Union, along with the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic.

Eight interviews were conducted with members of three separate stakeholder groups within the UK lamb value chain (farmers, meat processors and retail buyers) to ascertain the benefits and challenges faced. Interviews were transcribed and thematically coded, revealing three key “themes”: economic consequences, supply chain impacts and policy changes.

Farmers were positively affected by an increase in the lamb sale price, but meat processors and retail buyers were more negatively affected by changes to the export process (increased paperwork, bureaucracy challenges and border control checks) and labour shortages. All three groups complained of a perceived lack of support from Government, and of a sense of uncertainty in relation to the new UK Agricultural Policy and future international trade deals.

The study relates to a limited time-envelope (November 2021–March 2022), and interview sample (2–3 members of each group). Follow-up research will be required to ascertain whether these findings prevail across the UK lamb value chain, and to help inform Government with a view to protecting vulnerable stakeholders in the sector and securing British lamb for consumers.

The research provides novel insights into the UK lamb value chain at a time of market uncertainty.

High levels of child obesity alongside rising stunting and the absence of a coherent food policy have deemed UK’s food system to be broken. The National Food Strategy (NFS) was debated intensely in media, with discussions on how and who should fix the food system.

Using a mixed methods approach, the authors conduct framing analysis on traditional media and sentiment analysis of twitter reactions to the NFS to identify frames used to shape food system policy interventions.

The study finds evidence that the media coverage of the NFS often utilised the tropes of “culture wars” shaping the debate of who is responsible to fix the food system – the government, the public or the industry. NFS recommendations were portrayed as issues of free choice to shift the debate away from government action correcting for market failure. In contrast, the industry was showcased as equipped to intervene on its own accord. Dietary recommendations made by the NFS were depicted as hurting the poor, painting a picture of helplessness and loss of control, while their voices were omitted and not represented in traditional media.

British media’s alignment with free market economic thinking has implications for food systems reform, as it deters the government from acting and relies on the invisible hand of the market to fix the system. Media firms should move beyond tropes of culture wars to discuss interventions that reform the structural causes of the UK’s broken food systems.

As traditional media coverage struggles to capture the diversity of public perception; the authors supplement framing analysis with sentiment analysis of Twitter data. To the best of our knowledge, no such media (and social media) analysis of the NFS has been conducted. The paper is also original as it extends our understanding of how media alignment with free market economic thinking has implications for food systems reform, as it deters the government from acting and relies on the invisible hand of the market to fix the system.

The ageing and disabled population is fast growing, which emphasises the need to effectively modify current homes and environments to support healthy ageing and increasingly diverse health needs. This paper aims to bring together findings and analyses from three adaptations-focussed projects, drawing on perspectives from key stakeholders alongside the lived experiences of service users acquiring adaptations.

Following an Adaptations Framework developed from interviews and focus groups with older people and key stakeholders, the paper discusses barriers experienced by older people and front-line workers in receiving and delivering adaptations through all stages of the process.

This paper reveals how experiences around adaptations might diverge with unseen, hidden investment and need amongst individuals, and how conceptual and cost-focussed evidence gaps impact wider understandings of adaptations delivery. In so doing, this paper highlights how the adaptations process is perceived as a “fight” that does not work smoothly for either those delivering or receiving adaptations services.

The paper suggests a systematic failure such that the adaptations process needs to be rehauled, reset and prioritised within social and public policy if the housing, health and social care sectors are to support healthy ageing and prepare for the future ageing population.

The paper brings together insights from key stakeholders alongside service users' experiences of adaptations to highlight key policy drivers and barriers to accessing and delivering adaptations.

This study presents the impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU)-induced Trade Supply Chain Vulnerability (TSCV) on the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in India by leveraging the World Bank Enterprise Survey data for 2014 and 2022. Applying econometric techniques, it examines firm size’ influence on productivity and trade participation, providing insights for enhancing SME resilience and trade participation amid uncertainty.

The econometric techniques focus on export participation, along with variables such as total exports, firm size, productivity, and capital intensity. It addresses crucial factors such as the direct import of intermediate goods and foreign ownership. Utilizing the Cobb-Douglas production function, the study estimates Total Factor Productivity, mitigating endogeneity and multicollinearity through a two-stage process. Besides, the study uses a case study of North Indian SMEs engaged in manufacturing activities and their adoption of mitigation strategies to combat unprecedented EPU.

Results reveal that EPU-induced TSCV reduces exports, impacting employment and firm size. Increased productivity, driven by technological adoption, correlates with improved export performance. The study highlights the negative impact of TSCV on trade participation, particularly for smaller Indian firms. Moreover, SMEs implement cost-based, supplier-based, and inventory-based strategies more than technology-based and risk-based strategies.

Policy recommendations include promoting increased imports and inward foreign direct investment to enhance small firms’ trade integration during economic uncertainty. Tailored support for smaller firms, considering their limited capacity, is crucial. Encouraging small firms to engage in international trade and adopting diverse SC mitigation strategies associated with policy uncertainty are vital considerations.

This study explores the impact of EPU-induced TSCV on Indian SMEs’ trade dynamics, offering nuanced insights for policymakers to enhance SME resilience amid uncertainty. The econometric analysis unveils patterns in export behavior, productivity, and factors influencing trade participation during economic uncertainty.

This study aims to investigate the manufacturing reshoring decision-making content from an Eclectic Paradigm perspective.

Data were collected through a six-step systematic literature review on factors influencing manufacturing reshoring decision-making. The review is based on 100 peer-reviewed journal papers discussing reshoring decision-making contents published from 2009 to 2022.

In total, 80 decision factors were extracted and then categorized into resource-seeking (8%), market-seeking (11%), efficiency-seeking (41%) and strategic asset-seeking (16%) advantages. Additionally, 24% of these were identified as hybrid, which means that they were classified into multiple categories. Some decision factors were further identified as reshoring influencing factors (i.e. drivers, enablers and barriers).

Scholars need to consider what other theories can be used or developed to identify and evaluate the decision factors (determinants) of manufacturing reshoring as well as how currently adopted theory can be further advanced to create clearer and comprehensive theoretical frameworks.

This research underscores the importance of developing clearer and more comprehensive theoretical frameworks. For practitioners, understanding the multifaceted nature of decision factors could enhance strategic decision-making regarding reshoring initiatives.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the value and practicality of the Eclectic Paradigm in categorizing factors in manufacturing reshoring decision-making content and presents in-depth theoretical classifications. In addition, it bridges the gap between decision factors and influencing factors in the decision-making content research realm.

This paper aims to analyse and compare the petition for liquidation and administrative liquidation procedures within Saudi and UK insolvency law. It explores how Sharia principles shape insolvency practices and examines critical elements such as creditor rights, asset management and the prioritization of claims. By highlighting the procedural differences and their implications for stakeholders, this study seeks to uncover the effectiveness and fairness of each system. Ultimately, this comparative analysis aspires to contribute to a deeper understanding of how insolvency frameworks influence economic recovery and stakeholder protection in varying legal contexts.

This study uses a comparative analysis approach, drawing from legal texts, academic literature and case law in both Saudi Arabia and the UK. It includes a thorough examination of insolvency statutes, court rulings and procedural frameworks, identifying key differences and similarities. Empirical data regarding insolvency outcomes, such as process duration and creditor recovery rates, will be assessed to evaluate each system’s effectiveness. This methodology aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of insolvency procedures while integrating both theoretical frameworks and practical examples to enrich the analysis.

The findings reveal significant differences in how the petition for liquidation and administrative liquidation procedures are implemented in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Saudi insolvency practices are deeply influenced by Sharia principles, emphasizing fairness and creditor−debtor relationships. In contrast, the UK framework showcases a more commercial approach. This study identifies leadership roles and procedural transparency as critical factors affecting stakeholder outcomes. Overall, the analysis underscores the necessity for continuous improvement in both jurisdictions to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of insolvency proceedings, promoting better economic recovery.

This study’s limitations include its focus on specific legal frameworks, which may restrict the generalizability of findings to other jurisdictions. The reliance on qualitative data from selected cases might not capture the full spectrum of insolvency practices in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Future research is encouraged to test the proposed insights in broader contexts and examine the influence of emerging legal reforms on insolvency practices. In addition, interdisciplinary studies could further enrich the understanding of how cultural and economic factors shape insolvency law.

The comparative analysis provides practical insights for legal practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders involved in insolvency proceedings. Recommendations include enhancing procedural transparency, improving creditor engagement and fostering a balanced approach to liquidation and restructuring. By understanding the unique characteristics of each system, stakeholders can better navigate insolvency processes, ultimately promoting fair treatment and improving recovery outcomes. This study also highlights the importance of aligning local practices with international standards to facilitate cross-border transactions and enhance economic stability.

This paper contributes to the under-researched area of Islamic insolvency law by providing a comparative analysis of liquidation procedures in Saudi Arabia and the UK. It highlights the interplay between Sharia principles and modern insolvency practices, filling a gap in existing literature. By examining the implications for creditors and stakeholders, this study offers valuable insights into the effectiveness and fairness of insolvency frameworks. Its findings can inform future legal reforms and facilitate greater understanding of how different jurisdictions handle insolvency challenges, promoting global best practices in this domain.

This paper aims to reveal how institutional distance, institutional quality and government involvement may shorten M&A deal durations in Brazil. Therefore, t paper explains the determinants of M&A deal durations from the perspective of an emerging country acquirer.

The authors use a distinctive data set from the Thomson SDC Mergers and Acquisitions Database and Zephyr, covering both public and private M&As in Brazil. This sample includes all cross-border M&As in Brazil between 2000 and 2015. They used hierarchical ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to analyze the data set.

The findings show that informal institutional distance between Brazil and host countries does not impact deal durations when the target is from a developed host. Nonetheless, Brazilian deals involving developing country targets exhibit a positive association between institutional distance and deal durations. The results also reveal that stronger institutional quality reduces the duration of M&A deals executed by Brazilian firms in developed countries. However, no association was found in emerging countries. Finally, government involvement in Brazilian acquirers’ deals did not impact M&A completions in developed countries but prolonged the transactions in emerging countries. Therefore, the outcomes of government involvement occurred differently in developed and emerging host countries and did not manifest as a resource-based advantage.

The authors extend the literature by simultaneously explicating the country-, i.e. institutional distance and institutional quality, and firm-level, i.e. government involvement effects on M&A deal duration from an emerging country acquirer perspective. Second, the authors shed light on the unique impact of government involvement in cross-border M&As, including emerging-developed and emerging-emerging country pairs, on the speed of M&A completions.

This paper examines how key actors in the UK food system (FS) understand the role of the local food sector in relation to FS resilience.

Discourse analysis was used to assess and compare the framings of the UK FS in 36 publications released during Covid-19 from alternative food networks (AFNs) actors and from other more mainstream FS actors, including the UK government.

The analysis shows that AFNs actors perceive the UK FS as not resilient and identify local FSs as a route towards greater resilience (“systemic” framing). In contrast, other food actors perceive the UK FS as already resilient, with the role of local food limited to specific functions within the existing system (“add-on” framing). The two groups converge on the importance of dynamic public procurement and local abattoir provision, but this convergence does not undermine the fundamental divergence in the understanding of the role of “the local” in resilient UK FSs. The local food sector’s messages appear to have gone largely unheard in mainstream policy.

The paper presents an analysis of public sector reports focused on the UK FS released during the Covid-19 pandemic years 2020–2021. The corpus inclusion criteria mean that publications during this period which focus on other food sector issues, such social injustices, climate change and health, were not included in the analysis, although they may have touched upon local food issues. The authors further recognise that Covid-19 had a longer lasting effect on FSs than the years 2020–2021, and that many other publications on FSs have been published since. The time span chosen targets the time at which FSs were most disrupted and therefore aims to capture emerging issues and solutions for the UK FS. The authors’ insights should be further validated through a more complete review of both public reports and academic papers covering a wider base of food-related issues and sectors as well as a broader timespan.

A comparison of how different FS actors understand the importance of local food, especially in relation to resilience, has not been undertaken to date. The findings raise important questions about the disconnect between AFN actors and other actors in the framing of resilience. Considering the need to ensure resilience of the UK FS, this study's findings raise important insights for UK food policy about the “local food blindspot” and for food movement actors wishing to progress their vision of transformative change.