Supply Chain Manipulation, Misrepresentation, and Magical Thinking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed remarkable stress on all aspects of society, from health care and the economy to the psychological well-being of communities. While the crisis is still playing out in the United States and around the world, it is nevertheless appropriate to begin to assess its impact. This paper asks: What documentable public failures provide a deeper understanding of the U.S. government COVID-19 responses’ impact on supply chains? Case examples show that markets were adversely affected in ways that caused avoidable shortages of critical goods and supplies. Moreover, public procurement effectiveness was likely reduced by short-run efforts to obtain political advantage. The article begins with a brief review of disaster procurement, highlighting how public procurement professionals tried to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next section delineates three politically led phenomena that adversely impacted procurement’s ability to acquire the needed goods and services, including a lack of cohesive strategy in acquiring essential personal protective equipment; preference for unproven drugs and magical thinking; and cozy relationships between the public and private sectors. The article concludes by discussing the centrality of public sector procurement professionals as a critical link for effective provision of government services, especially in times of crisis.

COVID-19 information disorder: six types of harmful information during the pandemic in Europe

“…This behaviour may be seen as falling under the broader phenomenon of 'alternative medicine'the use of untested and unregulated remedies (Angell and Kassirer, 1998). Even governments may sometimes engage in 'magical thinking' and push unproven pharmaceutical solutions to a health crisis (Atkinson, McCue, Prier, and Atkinson, 2020). In the countries included in our study, this type of harmful messages contained, among others, false claims that the novel coronavirus could be treated by consuming vitamin C, tea, water, herbal infusions, sodium bicarbonate, probiotics, or a gargle made of vinegar and salt, by breathing hot air, smoking, and going to sauna.…”

What do we know about business and economics research during COVID-19: a bibliometric review

“…Specifically, researches shed light on COVID-19 and its impact on the supply chain due to the lack of cohesive consumption patterns and the sudden change in the market demand (Atkinson et al, 2020), in addition to the courtiers' border closure (Ker & Cardwell, 2020). In this study, the authors carried a comprehensive review of the mentioned articles and determined two sub-streams in the supply chain field.…”

COVID-19, Public Procurement Regimes, and Trade Policy

“…Some governments directly contracted with large producers, bypassing standard competitive procedures stipulated in public procurement regulations . While warranted, there are risks associated with diverging from standard PP practices, including higher cost procurement, greater vulnerability to fraud, and diminished accountability and less transparency in contracting (Atkinson et al 2020).…”

“…WTO rules permit the use of trade restrictions in public emergencies, but require these to be temporary, lasting only for the duration of a crisis. The reason is that use of export controls can give rise to negative spillovers, including by constraining the ability of firms to ramp up production, leading to increased prices, and impeding the ability of other countries to import supplies (Atkinson et al 2020;Evenett, 2020;Gereffi, 2020;.…”