Procuring a sustainable future: an action learning approach to the development and modelling of ethical and sustainable procurement practices

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to understand the processes by which organisational actors learn how to affect positive and sustainable social change in their local region via Action Learning and Appreciative Inquiry. The paper is based on a critically-reflective account of some key findings from an ongoing action research project, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The project is an attempt to alleviate poverty in the Leeds City Region through the identification and spread of 'good practice' in large local organisations. The paper is based on key insights into the tensions involved in accomplishing such modes of action research and action learning in this particular context, and how these findings can relate to similar research in other domains of inquiry, action and cross-organisational learning. Through this, the paper discusses the inherent challenges faced when attempting to use action research and action learning approaches to help large organisations to learn and develop as ethical and sustainable agents.

Mapping the field of responsible sourcing: Topic modeling through bibliometric analysis

“…Each step in the actual ethical decision-making process affects the others in a unique way. According to (Boak et al, 2016), ethical procurement practices have a significant impact on the buyer's degree of competence. In other words, young professionals have less options for making moral purchases (Jham & Malhotra, 2019).…”

Action learning and action research to alleviate poverty

“…The university research team recruited 12 anchor institutions to take part in the project: four local authorities, two healthcare organisations, two further education colleges, one university, two third sector organisations and one private sector company (Boak et al 2016;Devins et al 2017). In each case the chief executive (or equivalent) was briefed on the project and agreed that the organisation would participate.…”