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1 – 10 of over 1000David Špaček and Zuzana Špačková
Scholarly research on e-procurement has been limited and, like e-government, e-procurement has been researched primarily from the perspective of adoption/non-adoption…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholarly research on e-procurement has been limited and, like e-government, e-procurement has been researched primarily from the perspective of adoption/non-adoption. This paper aims to focus on public administration employees’ perceptions of the quality of národní elektronický nástroj (NEN) – the Czech national e-procurement tool they are required to use.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based primarily on statistical analysis of data obtained through two questionnaire surveys addressed to contacts from of all Czech central state administration bodies using NEN; 175 completed questionnaires were gathered in 2020 and 128 in 2022 and subjected to statistical analysis in SPSS.
Findings
NEN was launched as fully operational in August 2015. The research indicates that in 2022 there were still important gaps in the quality of NEN as perceived by public employees.
Social implications
The paper has important practical implications for e-procurement policymakers. It shows that making the e-procurement system compulsory is not sufficient. The government needs to guarantee that it would be competitive with tools that would otherwise be preferred. Otherwise, the application of the digital-by-default principle may lead to institutionalisation of services that are not user-friendly. This has important implications for e-government/e-procurement management and change management.
Originality/value
Little is known about public employees’ perceptions of the quality of e-government and e-procurement. Although e-procurement is an area where the digital-by-default principle was implemented rather early, the quality of e-procurement has still received limited attention in research.
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Michael Nii Addy, Evans Teye Addo, Titus Ebenezer Kwofie and Joseph Eguei Yartey
The substantial benefits of e-procurement to organizations and institutions have, over the past two decades, become central to supply chain management. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The substantial benefits of e-procurement to organizations and institutions have, over the past two decades, become central to supply chain management. This study aims to identify the factors that facilitate the adoption of e-procurement system using modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2).
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative approach, the factors identified in the UTAUT2 are operationalized and examined carefully. The investigation has been conducted using a survey questionnaire. The data set has been obtained from 205 construction professionals in Ghana.
Findings
The research evinced that the decision by individuals to adopt e-procurement is mainly influenced by performance expectancy and social influence. By implication, the study found out that the respondents are more likely to adopt e-procurement if it is seen to be user-friendly and useful, and when they have a community of people supporting its use. Overall, the findings suggest that the model can stimulate a high adoption and intention to use e-procurement technologies, given its good predictive potential and robustness.
Practical implications
The structures uncovered in the study show that not all UTAUT2 factors are applicable within the study area. The findings provide a good backdrop in the development of policy and a roadmap for e-procurement implementation in Ghana. This is particularly useful for system development and implementation purposes for government agencies, contracting organizations, professionals and users of e-procurement technologies.
Originality/value
The original contribution and value of the paper is the use of UTAUT2 to provide evidence on their significance to e-procurement adoption among construction professionals.
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Hawa Ahmad, Sitti Hasinah Abul Hassan and Suhaiza Ismail
This paper aims to examine the level of transparency of the electronic procurement (e-procurement) system in Malaysia.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the level of transparency of the electronic procurement (e-procurement) system in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the content analysis method, 23 transparency disclosure items from the Website Attribute Evaluation System (WAES) checklist were used to evaluate the transparency level of the e-procurement system. The data gathered from the WAES were analysed using frequency and percentage based on the various categories of transparency.
Findings
The study reveals that the e-procurement system disclosed 17 out of the 23 WAES transparency disclosure items, which represents a transparency disclosure level of 73.91%. Of the five categories of disclosure, i.e. ownership, contact information, organizational information, citizen consequences and freshness, the detailed results show that the items are fully disclosed for only two categories, and for three categories, i.e. ownership, contact information and organizational information, the items are not fully disclosed.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of the present research offer a positive indication that the government is moving in the right direction, particularly in efforts to reduce the corruption level in procurement activities and to improve the accountability level of the government.
Originality/value
The present study is among the few studies that attempts to address a fundamental issue of transparency in the public procurement system that has an important relationship with the occurrence of corruption in procurement activities.
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Alistair Brandon‐Jones and Sinéad Carey
Whilst e‐procurement has significant potential to reduce the purchasing costs of an organisation, the realisation of these savings requires user compliance. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Whilst e‐procurement has significant potential to reduce the purchasing costs of an organisation, the realisation of these savings requires user compliance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which user‐perceived e‐procurement quality (EPQ) (operationalised through the dimensions of professionalism, processing, training, specification, content, and usability) influences both system and contract compliance.
Design/methodology/approach
User perceptions of EPQ were examined in four UK organisations using survey data from 274 respondents.
Findings
Strong evidence was found of a positive relationship between user‐perceived EPQ and both system and contract compliance. System compliance was most strongly influenced by professionalism and content dimensions, whilst contract compliance was most strongly influenced by processing, specification, and content dimensions.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from e‐procurement users in four organisations, which may limit the extent to which findings can be generalised.
Practical implications
User perceptions of e‐procurement provision significantly influence system and contract adoption. Practitioners should pay attention to management of different dimensions of perceived quality as they may have different effects on both contract and system compliance.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to empirically assess the relationship between user‐perceived EPQ and compliance. Its findings challenge the assumption that the monopolistic dynamics common within internal services, such as e‐procurement provision, are sufficient to ensure compliance. Dissatisfied individuals invariably find ways to circumvent mandatory systems and contracts.
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Wojciech Piotrowicz and Zahir Irani
This paper aims to present electronic procurement benefits identified in four case companies from the information technology (IT), hi‐tech sector.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present electronic procurement benefits identified in four case companies from the information technology (IT), hi‐tech sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Multi‐case study design was applied. The benefits reported in the companies were analysed and classified according to taxonomies from the information systems discipline. Finally, a new benefits classification was proposed. The framework was developed based on information systems literature.
Findings
The research confirmed difficulties with benefits evaluation, as, apart from operational benefits, non‐financial, intangible benefits at strategic level were also identified. Traditional evaluation methods are unable to capture all benefits categories, especially at strategic level. New taxonomy was created, which allows evaluation of the complex e‐procurement impact. In the proposed taxonomy, e‐procurement benefits are classified according to their level (operational, tactical, strategic), area of impact, applying scorecard dimensions (customer, process, financial, learning and growth). In addition the benefits characteristic is captured (tangible, intangible, financial and non‐financial).
Research limitations/implications
Research is based on four case studies only. Findings are specific to case companies and the environment in which they operate. The framework should be tested further in different contexts.
Practical implications
The new taxonomy allows evaluation of the complex e‐procurement impact, demonstrating that benefits achieved do not concern merely the financial impact. The framework can be applied to preparing new systems implementation as well as to evaluating existing systems.
Originality/value
The paper applies information systems frameworks to the electronic procurement field, which allows one to look at e‐procurement systems considering its complex impact. The framework can also be used to evaluate different systems, not simply e‐procurement.
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The increasing complexity and dynamism of new technology implemented or to implement have imposed substantial uncertainties and subjectivities in the risk assessment…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing complexity and dynamism of new technology implemented or to implement have imposed substantial uncertainties and subjectivities in the risk assessment process. This paper aims to present a risk assessment methodology for e-procurement implementation based on modified analytic network process (ANP) coupled with fuzzy inference systems.
Design/methodology/approach
ANP is modified in such a way that the experts can provide necessary data precise numerical value, a range of numerical values, a linguistic term or a fuzzy number. The proposed methodology incorporates knowledge and judgements obtained from experts to carry out identification of risk factors and to assess the risk magnitude of the identified risk factors based on factor index, risk likelihood and risk severity.
Findings
Risk magnitude of third party systems are found to be minor with a belief of 100 per cent, and for in-house systems, the risk is found to be between minor with a belief of 30 per cent and major of 70 per cent. The results indicate that by using the proposed methodology, the technological risk assessment of new technology can be done effectively and efficiently.
Research limitations/implications
Using the results of this study, the practitioners can better know the pros and cons of implementing both in-house and third party e-procurement systems.
Originality/value
The modified ANP is used mainly to structure and prioritize the diverse risk factors. Finally, an illustrative example on technological risk assessment of both in-house and third party e-procurement systems is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology in real life situations.
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Tashfeen Ahmad, Ruba Aljafari and Viswanath Venkatesh
Realizing value from information and communication technology (ICT) in procurement in developing countries is complex due to diverse stakeholders and intertwined…
Abstract
Purpose
Realizing value from information and communication technology (ICT) in procurement in developing countries is complex due to diverse stakeholders and intertwined procurement processes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the experience of the Government of Jamaica in leveraging ICTs as an intervention to transform its procurement operations and combat corruption.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examines conversations with employees in the Government of Jamaica to understand key milestones in its procurement history. Based on the view that the intervention context is an ecosystem where multiple and inconsistent views of the e-procurement system evolve over time, the study analyzes milestones to reveal key actions that contributed either to the initial success of or introduced challenges to the e-procurement system.
Findings
The findings suggest that inducing positive sentiments about the intervention through transparency will overcome a long history of negative sentiments about the initiatives of government bodies in general. Furthermore, positive sentiments may not be directly related to the e-procurement system.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers important insights that government bodies in similar contexts can apply to guide initiatives for transforming procurement operations. For instance, training should emphasize not only the technical aspects of the system from the perspective of different stakeholders but also their job descriptions. Future research may examine other initiatives in developing countries to compare the role of sentiments over time.
Originality/value
The study adopts a unique approach to understand the experience of a developing country in harnessing ICTs to transform procurement operations.
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Arjun Neupane, Jeffrey Soar, Kishor Vaidya and Jianming Yong
The purpose of this paper is to report on research that evaluates the perceived willingness of potential bidders to adopt public e-procurement for the supply of goods and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on research that evaluates the perceived willingness of potential bidders to adopt public e-procurement for the supply of goods and services to the government of Nepal. The authors have identified anti-corruption attributes through an extensive literature review and developed a theoretical model representing the impact of four latent variables, monopoly of power, information asymmetry, trust and transparency and accountability on the dependent variable, the intent-to-adopt e-procurement (ITA).
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this research were obtained by the use of a questionnaire survey of bidders who were officially registered with the Government of Nepal. As part of the fieldwork for this research, the first author collected the perceptions of 220 bidders regarding the potential of public e-procurement to reduce corruption in public procurement processes.
Findings
The findings suggest that a high level of the ITA has a positive and significant relationship with the independent variables that might inform the developed and emerging countries to make a decision to adoption of e-procurement to combat corruption in public procurement.
Research limitations/implications
This study has some limitations that should be taken into consideration. The evaluation of anti-corruption factors, as they affect the willingness of users to adopt e-procurement on the bidder’s perception research model is relatively new to e-procurement research. A limitation of the research was that it gathered and analyzed data from a single country with a limited number of respondents. More research is needed to identify the anti-corruption factors of e-procurement in reducing corruption, and also need strong empirical test to valid the factors that influence the adoption of e-procurement.
Originality/value
This study aimed to contribute to the academic scholar, government agencies and public procurement practitioner in enhancing their understanding of the perceived anti-corruption factors of public e-procurement to reduce corruption.
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This paper presents a model for Public Contracting Authorities to quantify procurement performance benefits that can be achieved by adopting e-procurement. It has been…
Abstract
This paper presents a model for Public Contracting Authorities to quantify procurement performance benefits that can be achieved by adopting e-procurement. It has been found that e-procurement could generate positive impacts, especially on the efficiency, effectiveness, dematerialization, competitiveness and transparency impact dimensions. Adopting e-procurement in the public sector is far more than just a technological challenge; it embodies a large scale change management effort to create a more efficient procurement culture. Using the performance measurement approach herewith presented helps to tackle this challenge, stimulating the effective use of e-procurement solutions. Measuring how eprocurement is contributing to optimize public expenditure by increasing organizational performances; can help to overcome the resistance to change. Plus, this model can be used to strengthen stakeholder accountability of both Contracting Authorities and public e-procurement service providers. The model has been consistently tested over the last four years with satisfactory results confirming the hypothesis; the case study is herewith exposed. The model can be applied in different context, therefore method and practical recommendations are also provided.
Achmad Nurmandi and Sunhyuk Kim
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implementation of initiative e-procurement in decentralized system on Indonesia’s local government system.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implementation of initiative e-procurement in decentralized system on Indonesia’s local government system.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors combine quantitative and qualitative methods. The central finding of this research is that human resources are the pivotal factors that determine the performance of local e-procurement in three cities. This research focusses on three local governments in Indonesia – Yogyakarta City, Tangerang City, and Kutaikartanegara Regency.
Findings
The central finding of this research is that human resources are the pivotal factors that determine the performance of local e-procurement in three cities. However, Tangerang City is going institutionalization phase in e-procurement initiative to ensure its sound local regulation.
Research limitations/implications
There are several limitations to this study including the recent nature of decentralized procurement in Indonesia, limited standardized and disaggregated data on local government procurement expenditures and performance.
Practical implications
The study recommends that human resources management in procurement needs to be addressed by both local and central government.
Originality/value
e-Procurement is an important instrument for preventing corruption in goods and services procurement. Indonesia has been implementing an e-procurement policy since 2008 based on a Presidential Decree. The president has issued annual orders (presidential instructions), and all central ministries and local governments have been required to comply with them to obtain their budget through the e-procurement system. However, as of 2012 fiscal year, only around 10.26 percent of the central government institution procurement budget and 10 percent of the local government procurement budget in Indonesia went through the e-procurement system, with wide variations among cities.
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