The aim of this article is to take a critical look at how to perceive informal institutions within institutional theory. Douglas North in his early works on institutional theory divided the national institutional framework into two main categories, formal and informal institution or constraints...

Purpose – The paper aims to focus on traceability as part of information management in the fruit supply chains of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. A review of the rules in use for traceability distinguishes between baseline traceability and traceability plus (T+), which encompasses many further embedded...

Purpose – The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to review the literature in order to assess the opportunities and the possible welfare effects of differentiation strategies in the food market; and second, to analyse the current structure and organisation of the fresh produce market...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the development of the grocery retail market in China. International retailers have been in China for more than ten years, during which period a series of profound changes has occurred in the Chinese retail sector. International retailers...

Multi-national corporations (MNCs) and large domestic companies have traditionally ignored a large part of the world's population with lower income levels, also known as the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). New empirical measures of the behaviour of those at the BOP and their aggregate purchasing...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine state promotion of private sector development in China, with particular emphasis on local configurations of support and service provision. Design/methodology/approach – Via analysis of two cases, constraints on the development of small- to...