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The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefits and challenges of implementing circular economy (CE), as well as shed light on the influence of procurement strategy in CE implementation in construction projects.

A qualitative research approach with abductive reasoning was adopted. The empirical data were collected from the construction industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The results reveal that clients, consultants and contractors have limited awareness, knowledge and motivation to implement CE in construction projects. The absence of incentives to design projects following CE principles, lack of involvement of contractors and suppliers, non-use of materials that use CE principles and current procurement strategies are the main challenges for the implementation of CE in the UAE.

Previous research offers limited knowledge on CE and its implementation in construction projects particularly from a procurement strategy perspective. The findings of the study provide new knowledge of the benefits, challenges and role of procurement strategy for implementing CE. It is suggested that collaborative and partnering-based procurement methods are needed to facilitate the effective implementation of CE.

The study aims to assess military procurement strategy in NATO countries labelled as emerging markets (Czechia, Slovakia and Lithuania) and capitalist Norway, which vary in national culture as indicated by the Hofstede Culture Compass.

This comparative case study analyses the procurement of a simple, mass-produced, off-the-shelf military product (FN Herstal MINIMI gun) in four small but very economically free countries from 2008 to 2023. The study answers the research question of how the unit price of MINIMI guns varies across post-communist and historical NATO countries distinguished by the variables operationalising national culture.

The general disability of the government to control corruption deviates the strategy of military procurement in post-communist defence institutions from an effective strategy of liberal capitalism, minimising the unit price and risks (Norway), to an odd strategy maximising the unit price and risks by preferring middlemen as agent of hidden agenda (Czechia).

Some defence institutions in post-communist countries may be burdened by legislature capture, and detailed research is needed to determine this.

The authors argue that national culture may contribute to significant goal displacement in the procurement strategy adopted by the government in an economically liberal state.

Without perfecting the control of corruption in post-communist defence institutions, the NATO burden-sharing debate on 2% of GDP will remain controversial.

With variables characterising national culture and the government’s ability to control corruption, the study elucidates a slow pace of convergence of post-communist countries to NATÓs values and procedures.

While operational performance is important for a company's competitiveness and profitability, this study claims that procurement may be required to drive operational performance. This study aims to focus on how procurement practices is related to operational performance among selected manufacturing firms.

The model was tested on a sample of 329 manufacturing firms in clothing and textiles, chemicals and plastics, food and beverages processing, wood processing, metal processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries in a developing economy.

The results indicate that firms with higher and optimal level of procurement practices achieve higher levels of operational performance. Regardless of the H1 rationale, this study suggests that increasing procurement techniques has a limit in terms of improving operational performance. This study establishes that extreme level of procurement practices is associated with decreasing operational performance.

This study calls attention to how managers can guide organizations in refining their procurement strategies and practices; there is the need to strive to strike a balance between diversification and efficiency in procurement.

Manufacturing firms are often integral parts of local communities. The decisions they make regarding procurement practices can impact the economic health of these communities. Striking a balance between diversification and efficiency can contribute to sustainable business practices that benefit both the company and the local community.

As the main contribution, this study brings the additional perspective that extreme level of procurement practices is associated with decreasing operational performance.

The construction industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions. This study investigates the role of procurement and contracting methods in carbon emission reduction (CER) in the construction industry. It also examines artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) potential to drive low-carbon practices, aiming to identify transformative policies and practices.

This study employed a qualitative methodology, engaging in semi-structured interviews with nine industry professionals alongside an innovative engagement with Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) technology to gather insights into procurement and project delivery methods (PDM) role in CER. The study involved identifying patterns, organizing themes, and analyzing data to extract meaningful insights on effective policies and strategies for CER in the construction industry.

The results underscore the importance of early contractor involvement and integrated PDM for CER in construction. Results emphasize the pivotal role of project owners in directing projects toward sustainability, highlighting the need for client demand. The research identifies cost constraints, limited material availability, and human resource capacity as key barriers in the US. The study proposes innovative materials, financial incentives, education, and regulatory standards as effective interventions. It also explores the future use of AI in enhancing CER, suggesting new avenues for technological integration.

The study provides empirical insights into the role of procurement and PDM in CER within the US construction industry by using qualitative approach and use of a GPT. It underscores the interplay between contracting methods, stakeholder engagement, and AI’s emerging role, for enhancing policies and practices to decarbonize the US construction industry.

Competency frameworks can support public procurement capacity development and performance. However, literature on connecting professionalisation with national procurement contexts is limited. This paper aims to explain and conceptualise recent Romanian experience with developing bespoke competency frameworks at national level for public procurement that reflect the features of the Romanian public procurement system. The approach used could guide in broad-brush, mutatis mutandis, other (national) public procurement systems with comparable features, mainly those seeking a shift from a rather administrative function of public procurement towards a strategic function.

This case study reflects on the methodology used for analysing the Romanian public procurement environment in EU context to develop bespoke professionalisation instruments, and on ways to integrate competency management approaches in Romanian public procurement culture. That methodological mix has been mainly qualitative and constructionist, within an applied research approach. It combined desk research with empirical research and included legal research in this context.

A principled, methodological and pragmatic approach tailored to the procurement environment in question is essential for developing competency frameworks capable to resonate to and address the specific practical needs of that procurement system.

Competency frameworks can uphold societal objectives through public procurement.

Using valuable insights into the development of the Romanian public procurement competency frameworks, the paper provides a conceptual framework for instilling competency management approaches to public procurement professional development where the latter is governed by a rather distinct, public administration, paradigm. This conceptual framework can guide other public procurement systems and stimulate further research.

This study's purpose is to collate data on the existing Green Public Procurement (GPP) legal policies, frameworks and initiatives at the global level and, second, to identify the conditions required for implementing green procurement practices and programs in developing countries such as India. A structured literature review was conducted using the search terms ‘Green Public Procurement’, 'Policy’ and ‘India’. Reports, technical papers and articles in a language other than English were excluded from the search. Finally, 20 papers were shortlisted and reviewed. The study found that GPP has begun taking shape globally and necessitates capacity building at many levels, including knowledge sharing, sourcing resources, fiscal re-distribution and public awareness. National governments emerge as key players in facilitating sustainable procurement, while international bodies continue to develop prospective policy frameworks. However, GPP is at its nascency in India and will require significant pre-assessment and planning to standardize itself among big and medium enterprises. While GPP allows for environmental consciousness, its use in India also presents the potential for innovation and expanding the consumer market. Its establishment requires the government to implement a centralized body that directs GPP activity, incentivizes green technology and develops policies favouring multi-level collaboration. Further research can involve in-depth interviewing of key people in Public Procurement (PP) processes to gauge the preparedness and seriousness of the government to undertake green procurement and understand the inherent challenges in transitioning to more sustainable procurement modalities.

The aim of the study is to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of e-procurement by businesses in the specific context of Saudi Arabia.

This study uses the firm-level data of World Bank Enterprise Surveys 2022 of Saudi Arabia covering 1,573 enterprises. The association between firm characteristics and the adoption of e-procurement by enterprises has been examined through the chi-square test. Further, a logistic regression model has been fitted to estimate the factors affecting adoption of e-procurement.

About 10 % of the enterprises reported that they adopted e-procurement as the establishment’s main technology to manage procurement and supplier chain by enterprises. A statistically significant association has been found between e-procurement vis-a-vis firm characteristics. Moreover, logistic regression analysis indicated that large and innovative enterprises, with digital presence in terms of website, holding a bank account and access to credit are more likely to adopt e-procurement.

This study offers valuable insights into the factors that influence the adoption of e-procurement by businesses, which helps the supply chain manager to develop and operationalize the digital supply chain through e-procurement in the context of Saudi Arabia.

This paper can provide significant insights for promoters and supply chain managers in Saudi Arabia, who are now focusing on the digital transformation of businesses. By understanding the factors affecting e-procurement by firms, they can smooth the supply chain.

In response to multiple disruptions, the purchasing supply management (PSM) function in construction supply chain management (CSCM) has gained prominence due to stakeholder pressures, dynamic market conditions and the need to adhere to complex sustainability, safety and health regulations and standards. However, there is a noticeable absence of empirical research on measuring and mitigating PSM vulnerabilities, especially considering the distinct challenges faced by large engineer-to-order project-oriented manufacturers. To address these issues, the purpose of this study is to develop and test a novel method to assist companies in construction supply chains in assessing and managing risks associated with sustainable procuring and sourcing materials.

Grounded in the literature gaps on construction PSM and a real case supply chain, the research uses the design science research (DSR) approach to develop an integrated method for assessing PSM strategies in this sector. The method integrates three essential purchasing dimensions: supply risks, profit impact and sustainability risks of materials, supported by nine subdimensions. Empirical validation took place within a multinational European construction company based in Denmark.

Findings from the supplier–buyer relationships confirmed that the developed method allows for the identification of the key components that significantly impact supplier–buyer relationships, profitability and sustainability. The research further suggests that construction supply chain managers and purchasing practitioners can use the proposed method to evaluate PSM, thus enabling them to make more informed decisions.

Through the utilization of the proposed artifact, construction companies can take a more proactive approach to address PSM uncertainties, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in dynamic construction supply chains.

The research contributes to bridging the theory and practice, providing valuable assistance for construction companies assessing and managing the PSM and supply risks within global construction value chains. This paper provides original insights for the CSCM, aiding in adopting competitive PSM strategies to improve overall supply chain performance.

This paper aims to determine the key factors and provide an effective model to enhance the performance of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM).

Data were collected using a semi-structured interview technique, a snowball sampling method and qualitative study method. For this purpose, ten supply chain and food production managers and experts were interviewed semi-structured. The data were analyzed using open, central and selective coding methods with grounded theory approach. In the proposed model, 13 principal codes have been specified, including organizational productivity, sustainable supply chain (SSC), industry supply chain, macro policies, organizational performance, social factors, economic factors, organizational factors, political factors, technology, manufactured products, customer and supply chain failures.

The model and concepts obtained from the participants clearly show that several reasons and motivations are involved in increasing the performance of SSCM. Moreover, the designed model indicates that the motives and reasons for turning to this system are satisfactory when implemented.

The distinctive and knowledge-enhancing feature of this paper compared to previous studies is the focus on the selected background, intervening and causal factors with the influence of strategies designed to achieve a new and local model for the SSC model and assess its impact on organizational performance and productivity. The proposed components of this paper have not been investigated so far.

This paper aims to examine how different contextual contingency factors and organizational goals influence construction clients’ decision-making when procuring contractors in the housing sector. More specifically, it investigates how clients’ choice of procurement strategies and organizational control systems is contingent upon various contextual factors and organizational goals.

It is based on an explorative interview study of clients and contractors in the Swedish housing sector underpinned by a review of organizational control literature.

The client's knowledge and resources, as well as project complexity and uncertainty, are the most important contextual contingency factors, while property management and sustainable development are the most important organizational goals that housing clients consider when designing procurement strategies.

The paper contributes to the understanding of how construction clients choose procurement strategies, by providing new insights into effects of the mentioned contextual contingency factors and organizational goals on clients’ choice of control systems through their procurement strategies.

Property owners who continuously procure housing projects with sustainability requirements and high degrees of complexity and uncertainty should develop knowledge and resources related to their client role, to enable the design and implementation of appropriate procurement strategies.

Novel aspects of the paper are the demonstration of the value of a holistic approach, considering both contextual contingency factors and organizational goals, when selecting control systems and explicit discussion of how the client's knowledge and resources influence possibilities to implement different control systems.