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Professional resistance against competitive public procurement in Iran

Mehran Sepehri (School of Management and Economics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran)
Mohsen Qadiri (School of Management and Economics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran)

Journal of Public Procurement

ISSN: 1535-0118

Article publication date: 4 June 2018

96

Abstract

Purpose

This study aim to examine the roots of professional resistance of procurement in Iran. Public procurement (PP) contracts, in developing countries, hide the structural problems of governmental management because of the lack of bureaucratic processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-phase qualitative study offers contextual and critical understandings on why Iranian PP experts, who are aware of the philosophies behind internationally endorsed principles, prefer to resist against the use of those principles. They help, unexpectedly, their traditionalist companions to resolve the difficulties of the PP contracts by the use of local methods and routines.

Findings

Evidence, from in-depth interviews with procurements professionals in Iran Oil industry, provides four specific themes of “professional disorder,” “anti-internationalism,” “resistance mentality” and “politicized procurement.” A preemptive resistance is characterized to guarantee that the national benefits in Iran are preferred over the international economic interests.

Originality/value

Iran has been in isolation due to political sanctions, for two decades. There are many diverse political and social reasons for resistance against professional public procurement.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors express sincere gratitude to erudite colleagues at Faculty of Management and Economics, Sharif University of Technology, and managers and professionals at Iran National Oil Company, who kindly were always there to solve with difficulties of breaking the silence and talking about corruption in Iranian procurement.

Citation

Sepehri, M. and Qadiri, M. (2018), "Professional resistance against competitive public procurement in Iran", Journal of Public Procurement, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-06-2018-011

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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