Implementation of sustainable public procurement in local governments: a measurement approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 697-712
Author(s):  
Lily Hsueh ◽  
Stuart Bretschneider ◽  
Justin M. Stritch ◽  
Nicole Darnall
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Policy Science ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Sustainable Procurement

PurposeAssessing and measuring the extent of organization-level policy implementation has received little scholarly attention, especially in the areas of local governments' procurement and environmental protection. To rectify the paucity of research in this area, this paper adopts Leonard-Barton's (1988) conceptualization of the misalignment between the (policy) innovation and the organization and draws on an original survey of local government finance, environment and public works departments in a representative sample of US cities with at least 25,000 residents to develop a strategy for measuring the extent of the implementation of a sustainable procurement policy (SPP) in local governments.Design/methodology/approachThe authors demonstrate through the construction of a composite index that in order for a SPP to be fully implemented, standards and rules, routines and decision-making criteria need to exist to reconcile any technical, infrastructural and decision-making misalignments between the new policy and an organization's pre-existing norms and routines.FindingsThe authors empirically assess and demonstrate that the paper's proposed composite measure of policy implementation is robust to multiple specifications and measurement reliability and construct validity tests.Originality/valueWhereas the existing literature from political science and policy science has tended to focus on higher levels of implementation in government through a complex hierarchical system, this paper underscores the importance of the policy implementation at the organizational level. Moreover, the authors contribute methodologically by our development of a strategy to measure the extent of the implementation of a SPP by local governments.

Impact of relatedness, uncertainty and slack on corporate entrepreneurship decisions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Garrett ◽  
Shaunn Mattingly ◽  
Jeff Hornsby ◽  
Alireza Aghaey
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Corporate Entrepreneurship ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Slack Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effect

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of opportunity relatedness and uncertainty on the decision of a corporate entrepreneur to pursue a venturing opportunity.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a conjoint experimental design to reveal the structure of respondents' decision policies. Data were gathered from 47 useable replies from corporate entrepreneurs and were analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM).FindingsResults show that product relatedness, market relatedness, perceived certainty about expected outcomes and slack resources all have a positive effect on the willingness of a corporate entrepreneur to pursue a new venture idea. Moreover, slack was found to diminish the positive effect of product relatedness on the likelihood to pursue a venturing opportunity.Practical implicationsBy providing a better understanding of decision-making schemas of corporate entrepreneurs, the findings of this study help improve the practice of entrepreneurship at the organizational level. In order to make more accurate opportunity assessments, corporate entrepreneurs need to be aware of their cognitive strategies and need to factor in the salient criteria affecting such assessments.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the limited understanding of corporate-level decision-making with regard to pursuing venturing opportunities. More specifically, the paper adds new insights regarding how relatedness and uncertainty affect new venture opportunity assessments in the presence (or lack thereof) of slack resources.

Measuring intellectual capital in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Veltri ◽  
Andrea Venturelli ◽  
Giovanni Mastroleo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Expert System ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scant Attention

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to measure intellectual capital (IC) in firms involved in strategic alliances, an area that has received scant attention in the literature, as existing research is focused mainly on organizational level mainly and increasingly on macro-level unit such as regions or nations. There are very few works at the meso-level (i.e. alliances, clusters), and the paper aims to fill this void, by providing researchers and practitioners with a tool capable of combining measurement and management aims, developed at organizational level with the active participation of the researchers. Design/methodology/approach – The method of analysis is based on a model formalized through a fuzzy expert system (FES). The FES are able to merge the capabilities of an expert system to simulate the decision-making process with the vagueness typical of human reasoning, maintaining the ability to still have a numeric value as a response. Its construction requires the participation of experts, whose knowledge of the problem is accumulated in the form of blocks of rules. These features make it possible to formalize the decision-making process related to the IC valuation, handling qualitative and quantitative variables, and exploring the cognitive mechanisms underlying this process. Findings – The outcome of the application is a system designed to measure the intangible performance deriving from participation in a strategic alliance using FES. This study contributes to the broadening of the research community’s understanding regarding the alternative measurement of IC created within strategic alliances. Research limitations/implications – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, IC literature lacks methods expressly designed to measure the incremental value of IC originating from collaboration among firms. From a measurement perspective, the results may be regarded as valuable proof that IC performance within strategic alliances can be measured quantitatively. Practical implications – On the management side, the possibility of retracing the determinants of different IC intermediate indicators composing the final IC index allows strategic alliances managers to use this information for decision-making purposes. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first study applying FES to measure IC in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance. In the authors’ opinion, fuzzy logic methodology, recently applied in empirical work designed to evaluate IC, represents a reliable methodology because of the “fuzzy” nature of IC.

The framework of data-driven and multi-criteria decision-making for detecting unbalanced bidding

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huimin Li ◽  
Limin Su ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Xiaowei An ◽  
Guanghua Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Distance Measure ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Unit Price ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Relative Distance ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Ideal Solution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government

PurposeUnbalanced bidding can seriously imposed the government from obtaining the best value for the taxpayers' money in public procurement since it increases the owner's cost and decreases the fairness of the competitive bidding process. How to detect an unbalanced bid is a challenging task faced by theoretical researchers and practical actors. This study aims to develop an identification method of unbalanced bidding in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe identification of unbalanced bidding is considered as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. A data-driven unit price database from the historical bidding document is built to present the reference unit prices as benchmarks. According to the proposed extended TOPSIS method, the data-driven unit price is chosen as the positive ideal solution, and the unit price that has the furthest absolute distance measure as the negative ideal solution. The concept of relative distance is introduced to measure the distances between positive and negative ideal solutions and each bidding unit price. The unbalanced bidding degree is ranked by means of relative distance.FindingsThe proposed model can be used for the quantitative evaluation of unbalanced bidding from a decision-making perspective. The identification process is developed according to the decision-making process. The finding shows that the model will support owners to efficiently and effectively identify unbalanced bidding in the bid evaluation stage.Originality/valueThe data-driven reference unit prices improve the accuracy of the benchmark to evaluate the unbalanced bidding. The extended TOPSIS model is applied to identify unbalanced bidding; the owners can undertake objective decision-making to identify and prevent unbalanced bidding at the stage of procurement.

Prioritizing Green HRM practices from policymaker’s perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrajunnisa Mehrajunnisa ◽  
Fauzia Jabeen ◽  
Mohd Nishat Faisal ◽  
Khalid Mehmood
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Corporate Environmentalism ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Orientation ◽  
Green Human Resource Management

Purpose This study aims to identify and prioritize Green human resource management (GHRM) practices from the policymaker’s perspective in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based manufacturing and service sectors to facilitate sustainable environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) and corporate environmentalism theory, this study uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making model, to rank the most influential enablers of GHRM practices. Data were collected from 24 C-suite executives of UAE-based manufacturing and service units. Findings Top management orientation for Green, Green organizational culture and Green corporate strategic planning were the most critical enablers that promote GHRM practices in the UAE’s manufacturing and service firms. Past research has mostly overlooked the strategic variables and focused only on organizational level antecedents based on HR bundles of practices. Research limitations/implications Data were collected only from UAE firms, hence limiting its generalizability. The study shall help organizations operating in emerging countries adopt the best GHRM practices toward Green goal agendas. Originality/value This research provides an AHP framework that can be used to conceptualize and prioritize GHRM practices, which aids in a firm’s Green decision-making and transition toward sustainable Green growth. This study furthers understanding of GHRM practices play out at the various levels-of-analysis within organizations to present a comprehensive paucity of integrative and multi-level studies over recent years. The study may be relevant for other organizations in other national contexts with similar governance homogeneity.

Development of a triple bottom line stakeholder satisfaction model

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burhan Amarah ◽  
Craig Langston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Star Rating ◽  
Stakeholder Satisfaction ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Social And Environmental Performance ◽  
Satisfaction Model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for producing an objective and holistic assessment of organisational decision-making to measure the procurement success of built facilities from the perspective of six key stakeholder groups (i.e. company, staff, customers, community, government and the environment). Design/methodology/approach This research is based on grounded theory. The methodology comprises a number of sequenced but interdependent steps. The first step involves reviewing the underpinning literature, whereas the second and third steps involve a detailed case study of actual practice and identification of stakeholder models that have been previously published, respectively. A knowledge gap is then highlighted from which a conceptual framework using a six-star rating algorithm as an integration metric is developed. The final steps seek an expert panel to validate the framework through focus group discussion ultimately leading to suggestions for further improvements. Findings It is found that the developed stakeholder satisfaction model is capable of assessing the sustainable procurement of built infrastructure using a generic six-star rating algorithm. The overall rating can be used to compare and rank performance across a range of portfolio assets, although some modification is required for non-built assets. Originality/value This research makes a contribution to knowledge through the presentation of a model, grounded in practice, that combines the economic, social and environmental performance of organisational decision-making from a stakeholder satisfaction perspective. It is acknowledged that there are a number of techniques that could be used to assess each stakeholder group, although the ones chosen in this research are mostly drawn from existing approaches developed and validated by others.

Sustainability performance assessment of an aircraft manufacturing firm

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1500-1527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alok Raj ◽  
Samir K. Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Noise Emission ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Quantitative Measurements ◽  
Aircraft Manufacturing ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a composite index (CI) to evaluate the sustainability performance of an aircraft manufacturing firm using Fuzzy Best Worst Multi Criteria (FBWM) decision-making approach. It identifies a wide range of sub-dimensions and their attributes to measure sustainability in a multi-echelon supply chain. Design/methodology/approach FBWM, a hybrid multi-criteria decision making method, relies on multiple sub-dimensions and attributes for assessment of sustainability. Sub-dimensions and attributes are identified from a detailed literature review and inputs from 17 experts. The weights are evaluated using best worst method (BWM). Quantitative measurements are very difficult for attributes like living conditions, noise emission, etc., so the performance of attributes are assessed using Fuzzy logic. The proposed methodology is validated with the case study of a single unit of an Indian aircraft manufacturing firm. Findings Economic concerns emerge as the most influential dimension of sustainability in the aerospace sector. The results reveal that the firm considered in the case study is “Very Sustainable.” Firm’s performance ratings are excellent in three out of 79 attributes considered for the study. Further, 24 weaker (least performing) attributes are identified with the help of fuzzy performance index. These require managerial action for improvements. Research limitations/implications The present study is based on inputs from a small group of managers in a single firm in India. It can be extended to a large group of executives in other firms like Boeing, Airbus, etc. for testing the validity of the proposed methodology and generalization of the findings. Practical implications Managers, consultants and audit agencies can use the proposed CI developed in this paper for evaluating the sustainability performance of a firm. It assists managers to identify weaker attributes for which they may plan and prioritize their activities for improvements. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to measure sustainability in an aircraft manufacturing firm. The paper proposes a novel framework based on fuzzy BWM, for assessing sustainability performance.

scholarly journals Crisis leadership during COVID-19: the role of governors in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul-Akeem Sadiq ◽  
Naim Kapucu ◽  
Qian Hu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
New York ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Crisis Leadership ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this viewpoint article is to understand crisis leadership during COVID-19 by examining the decision-making with respect to implementing COVID-19 mitigation measures, collaboration with stakeholders, and communication strategies of the governors of the States of California, Texas, Florida, and New York in the United States.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint article employs information from the extant literature on crisis leadership and secondary sources to understand the four governor's crisis leadership strategies during COVID-19.FindingsGovernors Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York made quicker decisions regarding implementing COVID-19 mitigation measures (e.g. shutting down the economy, mandating physical distancing, issuing stay-at-home orders, mandating wearing face covering in public and issuing a state of emergency) compared to Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida. In addition, all four governors collaborated with state and local governments, private entities, and nonprofits to address COVID-19. Finally, all four governors held some form of briefing on COVID-19 on a regular basis and used different media to get their information out to the public.Originality/valueThis viewpoint article uses decision-making regarding implementation of mitigation strategies, collaboration with stakeholders, and crisis communication strategy to understand governors' crisis leadership during COVID-19.

Reforms will strengthen policy implementation in China

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

Subject Reforms to the relationship betwen central and local government in China. Significance The government last month issued two blueprints for a sweeping reorganisation of the country's bureaucracy (here and here, links in Chinese). They include policies that significantly alter the balance of power between central and local government institutions. These aim to overcome foot-dragging and poor policy implementation at local levels by improving incentives and supervision, and eliminating overlapping responsibilities and conflicts of interest. Impacts With the backing of an increasingly powerful Xi, much of the agenda is likely to be implemented. In key policy areas such as the environment, local bureaus should have more reliable access to funding. New taxes and constraints on borrowing should strengthen local government finances and help reduce their debt burden. Local governments may have less leeway to offer business incentives such as tax breaks and other regulatory incentives.

When does Main Street prefer Wall Street? Legitimacy, status, and decision-making

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Altura
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Political Competition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Municipal Bonds ◽  
High Status ◽  
Wall Street ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Selection Decisions

PurposeWhen and why do organizations prefer high-status exchange partners? While past work has focused on status as a signal to the marketplace, this study shows that actors use the selected organization's status as a signal to legitimate their own selection decision.Design/methodology/approachThe context of the study is the selection of investment banks by local governments in the United States for the purpose of selling municipal bonds to investors. Hypotheses were developed through interviews with participants in the public and private sectors and were then tested using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). The models include 6,720 selection decisions nested within 1,032 local governments.FindingsInterview data reveal that governmental decision-makers struggle with interdepartmental conflict and are concerned about the perceived legitimacy of decisions in the “political arena”. The quantitative results confirm that with respect to selection decisions, the social context of the local government matters. Specifically, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, political competition and functional complexity—contexts where actors must signal independence and objectivity in decision-making—are each associated with an increased likelihood of retaining a high-status investment bank.Originality/valueThe study shows that a preference for a high-status partner is not just market driven. Rather, it emerges also from the legitimacy demands of the organization's own participants. More broadly, the study reveals how organizational decision-making—even that pertaining to the external market environment—is embedded in an organization-specific social reality.

Ways to improve the project management efficiency in a centralized public procurement system

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-185
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Raufdeen Rameezdeen
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Efficiency ◽  
Procurement System

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate driving factors that improve the project management efficiency (PME) in centralized public procurement systems. Design/methodology/approach Employees in four public-sector organizations in China were surveyed. The structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationship amongst those variables. Findings Organizational culture (OC) is an effective method to improve PME, and employee quality is the most critical factor of OC in this system. Job satisfaction (JS) is another significant contributor to PME and satisfaction with fairness of salary in this system being the key factor of JS. Job analysis (JA) has indirect influence on PME through JS and OC, whereas the job structure in this system is the most critical factor for JA. Practical implications An operational way to improve PME is to implement it from the perspectives of employee, organization and technique. At the organizational level, it is imperative to strengthen the OC by a well-structured recruitment system and to improve PME via well-design training. At the person level, both financial (i.e. income and welfare) and career incentives (i.e. promotion opportunities and a sense of belonging) are proposed to achieve employees’ JS to improve PME. At the technique level, JA approach (i.e. job rotation) is recommended to enlarge the positive influence of OC and JS on PME. These can not only ensure the management professionalism in a centralized public procurement system but can also motivate employees and maximize PME. Originality/value PME in a centralized public procurement system will be improved by addressing these key factors and their interrelationships. This provides detailed pathways for the centralized public procurement system to achieve better PME via optimal OC and JS and reasonable JA in China. In addition, the institutional and administrative traditions may vary significantly across cities, regions and countries. Therefore, such contextual differences should be taken into consideration for the improvement of PME in a centralized public procurement system.

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