PurposeTo investigate the status of third party logistics (3PL) in Mexico and the feasibility of 3PL as a global, uniform strategy.Design/methodology/approachA survey among firms located in the central part of Mexico, followed by a comparison of the results with data from existing 3PL studies of Europe and the USA.Findings3PL seems a common but “low profile” practice among large Mexican firms. Only a third outsources more than three functions, which are mostly supportive and operational. Compared to Mexico, 3PL use is higher in Europe and USA. Firms in Europe and USA focus more on tactical, integrated functions and cost reduction when using 3PL while Mexican firms aim for improved customer service and concentration on core activities. The lack of competitive local providers makes 3PL expensive and may favour larger, international providers.Research limitations/implicationsThe results warrant additional surveys of Mexico and other developing regions, preferably using a unique survey design and covering more SME's. Case studies are needed to further investigate how multinational firms manage the 3PL decision process on different organizational and regional levels.Practical implicationsUniform, global 3PL strategies should be considered with care: what may work in Europe may not work in Mexico or the USA. Outsourcing should be seen as a means and not as an end. Mexican firms can use 3PL successfully yet achieve different ends than European firms. Mexico's large SME market offers opportunities for providers of 3PL services.Originality/valueThis is the first thorough study about outsourcing logistics practices in Mexico, which adds a Latin‐American perspective to the very few 3PL studies conducted in developing regions. In addition, the comparison of Mexican outsourcing practice with practices across the USA and Europe offers a cross‐cultural view on 3PL and identifies the need for further mapping of expectations and conditions related to effective outsourcing of logistics in other regions.

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Purpose – The purpose of this research is to improve the understanding of drivers and inhibitors of healthy diet behaviors in the context of an emerging economy, such as Mexico, with a severe problem of overweight and obesity. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and protection motivation theory (PMT) provided the theoretical background for this study. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was used, given the limited amount of information available on consumers’ motivations to change behavior. In-depth interviews with experts in nutrition and four focus groups with consumers from two segments were performed to collect information. Thematic analysis was used to analyze information. Findings – PMT provided a better explanation of current dietary behavior; the positive attitudes that, according to TPB, are the immediate antecedent of behavior offered a poor explanation for autoreported behaviors. Results indicate that perceived low self-efficacy and high costs prevent change of behavior. Meanwhile, low vulnerability and severity among younger consumers adds to the low intention to adopt a healthier diet. In general, sensorial attributes of products, such as texture, flavor, color, smell and appearance, prevail over nutritional attributes. Practical implications – The outline of a social marketing program is suggested after the research findings. This program emphasizes prevention and is intended to complement governmental policies designed to modify the environment to facilitate access to healthy food. Originality value – Social marketing principles have been developed and applied mainly in the context of developed countries. This work contributes to the extension of such principles to an emerging economy with a public health problem related to overweight. Results of the research provide the basis to mold an appropriate intervention.

PurposeTo develop a prescriptive model that provides effective guidance in the early stages of outsourcing processes, while taking into the decision‐makers' bounded rationality.Design/methodology/approachProvides an overview of existing prescriptive decision models for outsourcing based on literature review. Contrasts these models with empirical accounts of outsourcing including two case‐studies of outsourcing of logistics activities. Discusses and explains discrepancies from the point of view of literature on bounded rationality and satisficing. Develops a conceptual decision model based on the principles of satisficing.FindingsThat there appear to be discrepancies between many of the prescriptive outsourcing models in the literature and the processes observed in practice. That satisficing concept provides a useful explanation of these discrepancies and useful design principles for developing more realistic prescriptive outsourcing decision models.Research limitations/implicationsThe model developed in this paper constitutes a first step and its details must be worked out and investigated in more detail. In that respect, specific suggestions for further research are included in the paper, e.g. regarding the potential of methods and techniques from operations research in certain parts of the model.Practical implicationsExplains discrepancies between existing outsourcing decision models and outsourcing processes in practice – in particular regarding the practice of outsourcing (combinations of) logistics activities. Offers the basis for realistic decision guidance in outsourcing processes.Originality/value of the paperThis paper is one of first which presents an outsourcing model that explicitly incorporates satisficing principles.

El sobrepeso y la obesidad son un problema de salud pública para México, razón por la cual el gobierno ha implementado varias acciones para controlarlo. En el caso del grupo de edad entre doce y quince años, estas acciones son promovidas principalmente en las escuelas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar el grado de implementación y efectividad de las acciones efectuadas, desde la perspectiva de los agentes escolares responsables, a fin de establecer modificaciones sustentadas en la Teoría Social Cognitiva para mejorar su efectividad. La investigación fue de tipo cualitativo y basada en el método de casos. A partir del análisis temático de dos casos de escuelas secundarias públicas, se identificaron dos elementos críticos de mejora apoyados teóricamente en la literatura y la información generada: la participación de los padres de familia y la implementación de un modelo educativo que promueva el aprendizaje significativo y el desarrollo de competencias de autorreflexión, autoeficacia y prevención.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a model where different motivational drivers are used to stimulate the intention of individuals to purchase green energy. Design/methodology/approach The goal-framing theory was used as the theoretical basis to design motivational statements that activate different self-goals driving the intention to adopt green energy. A field experiment was performed to investigate the influence of three different goal triggers on the intention of purchase green energy, specifically solar systems, among households living in a major city located in the central part of Mexico. The effect of demographics, environmental consciousness and perceived risk associated to the technology functionality was also considered in explaining the probability of purchase of a photovoltaic system in a short (one year) and medium (five years) terms. Findings The goal trigger grounded on normative motivations is the most influential on the probability of adoption of a photovoltaic system. However, the socioeconomic level of the household moderates the effect this type of goal trigger has on the intention of purchase a photovoltaic system. Individuals with a high socioeconomic level significantly increase their intention of purchase this green technology if motivated by a normative goal. On the contrary, individuals with a medium socioeconomic level are mostly motivated by goal triggers grounded on economic benefits. Research limitations/implications This study was circumscribed to a particular city of Mexico. Replication of the experiment in cities of other developing countries with contrasting sociotechnical contexts and the consideration of other green behaviours and explanatory variables is relevant to confirm and complement the results of this research. Practical implications The cost of photovoltaic systems represents a major barrier to the growth of the Mexican market of this renewable energy. Therefore, the promotion strategy for solar energy must be accompanied by the design of appropriate motivational drivers depending on the socioeconomic level of the segment and the time for the investment. Additionally, public and private strategies to decrease the cost of the technology and financing programs for individual and community projects are recommended. Social implications The willingness to use green energy and contribute to the protection of the environment should spring from within consumers. To upscale the solar energy market, it is relevant to understand the dominant goals of individuals when taking the decision to purchase green energy. Originality/value This study contributes to the extant research in green marketing by proposing and testing a new interpretative framework to examine how the benefits of green energy activate the self-goals of consumers, thus influencing their intentions of adoption of green energy. A theoretical model is proposed by constructing “goal-triggers” grounded on the goal-framing theory and empirically testing in the specific case of explaining the intention of purchasing photovoltaic systems in Mexico.

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the understanding of how elements of the socioecological system shape individual behaviors. The problem of childhood overweight and obesity is analyzed as existing within a complex system of relationships at different levels by means of system dynamics (SD). Design/methodology/approach Secondary sources and primary information collected from an elementary school were used to analyze the influences of several social environmental factors on the dietary habits and physical activity of children. The major elements that influence these behaviors were identified via a socioecological framework (SEF), and the interrelationships among these elements were described using an SD model. Then, several scenarios corresponding to social marketing actions oriented toward modifying the influence of specific elements in the socioecological system were proposed to evaluate how effective they are at reducing the percentages of overweight and obesity among children. Findings The current research shows the existence of counteracting efforts at the micro (family) and macro (governmental policies) levels that need to be aligned to reduce rates of obesity and overweight. Practical implications The systems perspective supports decision makers in defining social marketing strategies to modify alimentary behaviors based on the understanding of what elements of the SEF influence behavior and how they interrelate. To the authors’ knowledge, a detailed analysis of the influences of the socioecological environment has not been performed based on Latin American countries to seek solutions to the public health problems of overweight and obesity. Originality/value The application of SD enhances the value of the SEF suggested by Collins et al. (2010) for modeling individual behaviors. Moreover, the use of the systems approach for framing and understanding how the interrelationships of socioecological elements derive in synergic or antagonistic effects helps to predict the long-term effect of governmental actions and school interventions.

PurposeWhen selecting manufactured foods, customers consider several product features. Given the contemporary trends of food consumption, the purpose of this paper is to determine the influence that some demographic and psychographic key variables have on the chances of a consumer belonging to a market segment characterised by health-related food preferences.Design/methodology/approachThe food choice scale is revised to develop a multidimensional measure of the factors underlying consumer food choices. Data of 288 sampled consumers were used to validate the scale and to group consumers into four segments based on the value assigned to several food-product meta-attributes. Depending on these food choice values, the study identified four dissimilar clusters: utilitarian, protecting, toning and highly demanding.FindingsConsumers use multiple attributes when choosing food products. However, emerging segments tend to prefer health-related attributes over utilitarian or conventional attributes, such as price, flavour or accessibility. The consumers of these segments tend to be older, more health conscious and more prone to psychological health risks.Originality/valueDemographic and psychographic traits tend to drive trade-offs between health- and non-health-related attributes when considering food products. Several multivariate methodologies were innovatively coupled to characterize consumers based on their healthy food preferences and individual traits.