Sustainable Public Procurement as Organisational Change

Adjienim Boaterng Adjei

Abstract

Although studies into sustainable or green procurement are on the increase, it re-mains a field still in its infancy. Most studies to date have focused on only three subjects; two of which are closely related: 1) drivers of and 2) barriers to sustainable procurement; and, 3) the impact of sustainable procurement on the environmental, financial or operational performance of organisations. To mature further, the field of sustainable procurement must move beyond identification of barriers and drivers and examine how and why these factors influence SPP, as well as who are involved. A theoretical framework derived from the organisational change literature offers help in these respects given this field is much more mature. However, some persistent gaps exist here also, which need to be closed. First, too little attention has been paid to the outcomes of change processes. We will therefore examine, qualitatively and quantitatively, the outcomes of the change process, either in the form of behavioural change, or as the implementation of sustainable procurement. This will help scholars, procurers, and managers understand what makes the implementation of the change successful. Second, the research examines different aspects of the change process and, thereby, helps to close another gap in the literature: i.e. a lack of research into the process of change.

Keywords: Sustainable Public Procurement, Organisational Change, Procurement Policy

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