Determinants of local government innovation: the case of green public procurement in the United States

Abstract

PurposeGreen public procurement (GPP) may be a viable solution and an innovative policy tool for public managers to address complex environmental issues facing communities globally. Given their substantial purchasing power, local GPP initiatives and success can accelerate a transition toward a more sustainable society through governments' influence over the private sector. The study's central research question is: What are the factors associated with US local governments' engagement with GPP practices?Design/methodology/approachThis research applies the Mohr's (1969) model of motivations, obstacles and resources (MOR) and draws on original, comprehensive and national survey data collected in collaboration with NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement to explain adoption of GPP as an innovative policy tool. To ensure the robustness of the findings, the data are analysed by running two types of regression – ordinal logistic and negative binomial – using two different operationalizations for the dependent variable, a GPP scale (ordinal) and a GPP scorecard (count).FindingsThe decision surrounding GPP adoption is ultimately driven by organizations’ strategic visions, organizations’ familiarity with the GPP concept and practices, and mandates from the federal government through funding mechanisms.Originality/valueThis study offers guidance to both academic researchers and policymakers in public management and public budgeting and finance on strategies and policy options to expand GPP adoption and utilization.

Buying green in U.S. local government: Internal commitment and responsiveness to external pressures

“…It is a weighted index 5 that includes 12 green procurement activities (see Table 1), identified by Bouwer et al (2005). Environmental requirements can be introduced at each stage of the procurement process (Bolton, 2008; Dimand, 2022): (1) evaluation criteria, (2) selection criteria, and (3) technical specification/contractual agreement. The process is more effective in protecting the environment when the requirements are incorporated at the higher stages (Bolton, 2008).…”

“…With about $1.72 trillion spent on goods and services yearly (Stritch et al, 2020), the local level can steer the market toward more sustainable products and services (Georghiou et al, 2014). Yet, the drivers of buying green in local government remain less understood (Dimand, 2022; Terman & Smith, 2018).…”

Green public procurement in the most visited European museums: a comparison and a mapping

“…At least regarding GPP, museums turn out to be doing not more than just follow national trends. Thus, it can be expected that the GPP implementation in museums likely faces bottlenecks similar to those in other organizations, e.g., the lack of capacity (Dimand 2022), preference for the lowest price (Plaček et al 2021), leadership style (Al-Nuaimi et al 2021), and others (Polonsky et al 2022). Generally, we take these bottlenecks to be indicative of the slow institutionalization of GPP in the museum sector.…”

Machine Learning Analysis of Public Procurement in the Dominican Republic: Impacts on Economic Efficiency and Inclusive Sourcing

“…Inclusive procurement, conceived as a socially responsible sourcing strategy, plays a pivotal role in socio-economic planning and development (Silva, et al, 2021) has emerged as a key strategy for achieving social and economic objectives (McCrudden, 2004), (Dimand, 2022). Inclusive procurement, particularly relevant for SMEs, plays a crucial role in stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty (Ayyagari, et al, 2007).…”