Modelling the adoption of sustainable procurement in construction organisations

Abstract

Purpose The adoption of sustainable procurement in construction clients’ organisation remains a difficult concept. Current research of sustainable procurement adoption studies fails to focus on a multi-stage adoption process. The purpose of this paper is to develop an organisational adoption model in a multi-stage process for the adoption of sustainable procurement in construction. Design/methodology/approach The paper developed an organisational adoption model. The model was tested against data obtained from survey administered to 193 respondents of central and local government institutions with a response rate of 63.7 per cent. Structural equation modelling using the partial least squares was employed to determine and confirm the factor structure of the model, and to measure the relationships between the model constructs. Findings An organisational adoption model is developed, tested and is robust to aid the adoption decision process of sustainable procurement within construction organisations. Research limitations/implications The study is limited in scope affecting generalisation of the results. Future study should expand the scope to include consultants, contractors and suppliers. Practical implications The adoption model will assist policy makers and top managers to understand the adoption decision process and prioritise on the technological, organisational and environmental factors that significantly affect sustainable adoption decision process within construction organisations. Originality/value This study appears to be among the first to empirically develop an organisational adoption model to aid the adoption of sustainable procurement in construction.