Impact of demographic characteristics of procurement professionals on sustainable procurement practices: Evidence from Australia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the demographic characteristics of procurement professionals on sustainable procurement (SP) practices inside Australian universities. The study addresses the “who” question—that is, who inside an organisation might be the most likely to engage in SP practices. Using a valuable sample of 224 procurement professionals, the findings of this study provide evidence that demographic characteristics such as working tenure, qualification and position predict SP practices, particularly in the areas of environment, philanthropy and safety. The study implies that if there are more qualified female procurement professionals, it is likely that an organisation will pursue environmentally friendly procurement activities. This is the first study to confirm the effect of the demographic characteristics of procurement professionals on SP dimensions, which to date has been completely undisclosed in the literature. It adds another dimension to understanding SP in the workplace.