A Systematic Literature Review of Research on Social Procurement in the Construction and Infrastructure Sector: Barriers, Enablers, and Strategies

Abstract

In Australia, a new feature of public policy is the requirement by governments that large-scale infrastructure projects integrate social procurement practices that alter the traditional focus on balancing price and quality. Social procurement has been gradually developing in practice, but the academic literature has not kept pace. Although past research has identified some of the barriers affecting social procurement implementation in the construction industry, the nature of the barriers impeding its proliferation has not to date been systematically reviewed. This paper undertakes a review of the social procurement literature published from January 2012 to 30 June 2022, with 49 papers chosen under selective criteria. This critical review employs the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) technique to retrieve secondary data on social procurement from available peer-reviewed academic papers through three databases (Scopus, EBSCOhost, Web of Science). The literature analysis focuses on three themes: (1) barriers; (2) enablers; and (3) strategies to overcome the barriers. The paper finds that social procurement as a field of practice is evolving and expanding, but its role in contributing to social value creation remains an under-theorised concept. Recommendations for practice and future research are identified, including the need to measure the real-world impacts of policy.

Reviewing the Trends of Social Value in Construction Research in the Last Decade: A Bibliometric Review

“…As highlighted in the findings of a survey study from 61 construction workers in Australia [50], construction companies create social value when they provide employment that promotes 'work benefits' and 'culture benefits. Also, it depicts the continuous research focus on the importance of social procurement, which involves considering the social value and employment as integral components of tendering construction projects and leveraging it into government policies to ascertain social outcomes [43,45,51]. Present studies reflect a growing commitment within the construction industry to contribute positively to society, both economically and socially, while upholding corporate social responsibility principles [20,52].…”

Social Value Trends in Construction Research: A Bibliometric Review of the Past Decade

“…As highlighted in the findings of a survey study conducted on 61 construction workers in Australia [70], construction companies create social value when they provide employment that promotes 'work benefits' and 'culture benefits. Also, it depicts the continuous research focus on the importance of social procurement, which involves considering social value and employment as integral components of tendering construction projects and integrating them into government policies to ascertain social outcomes [64,66,71]. The current studies reflect a growing commitment within the construction industry to contribute positively to society, both economically and socially, while upholding corporate social responsibility principles [20,72].…”