procurement research topics pdf

159 Procurement Topics for Essays & Examples

Welcome to our awesome list of procurement topics! Here, you will find the best research topics in procurement, issues for discussion, and essay writing ideas. This list enumerates only the most current challenges in procurement, hot topics in supply chain management, and much more.

🔝 Top 10 Procurement Topics for 2024

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• Negotiation Strategies in Procurement
• Strategies for Cost-Effective Purchasing
• How to Cultivate Strong Vendor Partnerships
• Ethical Sourcing and Sustainability in Procurement
• The Use of E-Procurement in Streamlining Processes
• Best Ways to Mitigating Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
• Supplier-Driven Product Development in Procurement
• Metrics for Evaluating and Improving Supply Chain Efficiency
• Public Procurement Policies and Transparency in Contracts
• Use of Procurement Automation for Enhanced Efficiency
• H&M Company: Procurement and Supply H&M has to devote substantial attention to the ability of a supplier to ensure the quality and compliance with H&M’s social responsibility strategy and the Code of Conduct. Simultaneously, it is vital to assess the […]
• Saudi Aramco Company Procurement Process It is the work of respective managers, who are required to assess the viability of the procedure before recommending the appropriate action to the department.
• Procurement Management Whichever the option, a well managed procurement department and processes are beneficial to accompany in the following areas: The quality of a company’s products and services is subject to materials used in the production.
• Strategic and Operational Roles of Procurement Within DHL As a multinational company, DHL relies heavily on the effectiveness of its procurement department to access all the supplies that it requires to meet the needs of its customers.
• Sustainable Sourcing and Procurement at Tesla The concept of sustainability seeks to address the environmental and economic issues affecting the business and society. The emphasis here is that such efforts should be coupled with a critical requirement that the suppliers follow […]
• Boeing Australia Limited Current Procurement Processes Noticeably, the greatest advantage of the short-term procurement improvements is that the company has by any means managed to satisfy the demands of its vast client base.
• Procurement Methods of the Construction Projects The vital significance of procurement in the success of any project necessitate for deliberate measures and consideration in the selection of the most appropriate procurement method.
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s Procurement and Supply Before choosing the type of sourcing for a particular product, the organization has to consider the state of the market for this good and determine its competitiveness, quality and cost margins, and significant players.
• Nestle’s Coffee Bean Products Procurement The procurement of Nestle Coffee’s coffee bean products is based on the direct purchase of the beans with the farmers. The procurement of the Nestle coffee beans is based on the direct purchase of the […]
• Contract and Procurement Management The plan identifies the products and services needed for the project, the types of contracts to be used for the entire project or in parts of the project, the approval of the contact, coordination of […]
• Qualification-Based Selection Procurement This method is suitable for projects when the owner wants to gain the best price-quality ratio through a detailed analysis of offers.
• Aerospace Industry Risk and Procurement Management This paper aims to analyze the development and functioning of the procurement process in the example of Airbus. These components allow Airbus to control the information flow to and from its suppliers and to choose […]
• Procurement Risks and Contract Management The processes engaged include sourcing the supplier, agreeing on the terms of service, buying the products, receiving the commodities, inspecting if the supplied goods meet the order placed, and finally, keeping the records of the […]
• Centralization vs. De-Centralization of Procurement This study seeks to investigate the merits and demerits of each strategy relative to the vision of Qiddiya, which is a Saudi-based entertainment company with plans to venture into overseas markets.
• Procurement of Antimalarial Medicines in Africa and the Role of UNDP Many countries are interested in controlling the spread of these diseases by improving procurement services and the quality of medications that may be available to the African population.
• Strategic Purchasing: The Role of Procurement Department Strategic purchasing entails planning, implementation, evaluation, and controlling of strategic and operating purchasing decisions for directing all activities of the purchasing function toward opportunities consistent with the firm’s ability to achieve its long-term goals.
• Cost Analysis of the Mayo Clinic Contract Procurement Once the cost analysis has been done, the company can pick which method of costing will be employed in the future for the company.
• Construction Procurement in Industrialised Building System At the very beginning, the authors of the article began with the definitions and background of the term procurement in the construction industry.
• National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy in Canada The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, commonly referred to as the National Shipbuilding Strategy, is a long-term initiative that aims to rebuild Canada’s shipments, notably the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy.
• Job Description: Procurement Manager You will also provide guidance to other employees in the purchasing process for maintaining the efficiency of stock optimization. In addition, you will have to adhere to the policies of our company related to supply […]
• Contract Procurement Methods and Price Adjustment The total cost comprises the total compensation of the project cost and all the quoted amount in the proposal for the services rendered to the client.
• International Engineering Procurement Construction The contractor will be responsible for assessing the design, procurement activities, the actual construction, commissioning and the handover to the owner or operator when the system is ready for operation to ensure that it is […]
• Managing Procurement and Supply The management should know the inclusions that should be made in the contract and measures that should be taken to ensure that changes in the market forces do not affect the agreements made in the […]
• Description for the Position of a Procurement Clerk To prepare purchase orders and send them to the appropriate departments and suppliers To determine whether the amount of inventory within the organization is sufficient for its operation, if not, the procurement clerk will be […]
• Driving Value Through Procurement and Supply In this paper, the author has analyzed procurement and supply and the aspect of seismic surveys. In ADCO, minimizing costs and determining the right place for products acquisition is the primary focus.
• IT Procurement in Health Care The use of IT in the healthcare industry is poised to make the industry become efficient, competitive, and more accessible to the clients. Luckily, the solutions to the problems bedeviling IT procurement in healthcare lie […]
• P&G Procurement Automation: A Pioneering Story of Technology In order to terminate the supply chain inefficiencies connected with “the high inventory and transportation costs and the variability in shipments”, the two companies agreed on eliminating the intermediary chain and introducing a revolutionary information […]
• The Importance of Procurement in Public Organizations The primary goal of public procurement is to “obtain the right goods, capital assets or services…in the right quantity, for delivery at the right time to the right place, from the right source…with the right […]
• Project Procurement & Ethics Success and sustainability of the project is a key factor to the realization of the set project, both to the department and the project implementers.
• Procurement and Production in Planning Cycle This objective is achieved by curtailing the collective allotment cost of allocating goods to the clients based on the worthiness of the services.
• E-Procurement and It Application in the Grant Group The model for the interactions conducted through the electronic data interchange for e-procurement can vary depending on the requirements of the parties and the business.
• Procurement in Project Management This is one of the systems that are commonly used in procurement of various projects. When this system is used there is reduction of impact of work changes to work nature in the management of […]
• Off Season Fashion Sales: Procurement in Retail Karakul’s 2008 article “Joint Pricing and Procurement of Fashion Products in the Existence of a Clearance Market published in the International Journal of Production Economics, cites that in the apparel industry, the dilemma of always […]
• Ethical Issues in Procurement Management The Purchasing Managers’ Index is grounded on a monthly investigation of associates of the Swiss Association for Materials Management and Purchasing.
• General Electric Company: Procurement and Acquisition Practices Currently, GE deals in a wide a range of products and services spanning from aircraft engines and parts, medical imaging, financing and power generation to industrial products, and oil and gas production implying that the […]
• Contracting Excellence in Procurement and Supply Between ADCO and Emirates Transport Also, the contract is beneficial to the service receiver in terms of knowledge power since it grants ADCO the right to access and audit the contractor’s facilities and information peculiar to the provided services.
• Procurement Planning in Companies The objective of a procurement manager should be to avoid such issues and report them when necessary to the company’s executives.
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s Procurement & Supply The procedure involved is critical in ensuring the maximization of profits and the reduction of the cost of production. The price mechanisms applied must conform to the situation of the industry and have the ability […]
• Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations’ Procurement & Supply Contracts The issues include “performance of the Services, acceptance of the Services by ADCO, and the right to require the correction of faults and deficiencies in any part or all of the Services which is not […]
• The BBC Company Procurement Strategy Analysis While collaborating with the BBC Technology in order to enhance the quality of the services provided by the organization seemed an obvious solution to the company’s concerns, the decision to be made was fraught with […]
• Green Procurement and Its Development in Hong Kong The topic, which is widely linked to the wider agenda of sustainable development, has in the recent past been a point of interest for many businesses, governments, organizations and other stakeholders.
• Saudi Oil & Gas Engineering, Procurement, Construction Due to the high level of dominance that Saudi has in the oil industry, the country plays a critical role in the determination of the world oil prices.
• Procurement Opportunities in Construction Management The choice between the four types of procurement available in the construction industry leads to a sharp rise in the quality of the result.
• McLaughlin & Harvey Firm’s Cement Procurement Strategy Negotiation is a critical instrument outlined in this document to develop the sourcing plan and is useful in improving some of the rights that stakeholders wield in the larger procurement and supply model.
• Durable Vinyl Siding Corporation’s Procurement Costs The aim of this paper is to examine a case study of a siding manufacturer, Durable Vinyl Siding Corporation, and to provide its director of sourcing and procurement with extensive information on methods for reduction […]
• Kayan Petrochemical Company Procurement and Supply The study was conducted to determine the procurement and supply chain of polymers by SABIC through the dedicated function of Kayan that specializes in the development of the polymeric material as a feedstock for the […]
• Max Bögl Company’s Procurement Management The list of the identified risks is provided in the following table where each risk factor is rated on a five-point scale according to the likelihood of its occurrence and potential impact on the project […]
• Rügen Bridge: Plan Procurement Management During this time, the company in charge of the project had not only built a bridge, the core part of which is 4100 meters long, but also contracted other businesses to prepare the surface, smooth […]
• Airlines’ Practical Guidelines in Procurement Process This paper examines how airlines can maximize the usefulness of practical guidelines that can be used to implement a performance-based contracting approach in their procurement process and the value the aviation industry will acquire in […]
• Contracts and Negotiation in Aviation Procurement The procurement department has to be keen during the identification and eventual provisioning of the goods or services to ensure that the management makes strategic decisions.
• Organ Procurement Organizations’ Activities By doing so, they can ensure that donor organs are put to the best possible use and that the recipients will, in turn, live more fulfilling lives because of them.
• Procurement Trends in the Aviation Industry Elements of performance-based contracting that have changed the procurement trends in the aviation industry include the need to achieve maximum levels of quality during delivery, and the provision that remuneration applies only to goods and […]
• Industrial Purchasing and Procurement Website This supposition is based on the fact that after the purchase of raw materials the latter will be converted to the finished product. The suppliers can connect to the customers and offer their services on […]
• Project Procurement Closeout Plan Contract close-out is the responsibility of both of the sides to ensure that all the terms outlined in the contract were followed, and all the deliverables are exchanged by the parties.
• E-Procurement in Purchasing and Supply Management People start spending less time on the recognition of their needs, the identification of possible suppliers, the analysis of the opinions, the determination of delivery issues, the processes of placement and payment of their orders, […]
• Procurement and Supply in Managing Expenditures The first section entailed the analysis of the practical roles of stakeholders in the process of procurement. The final section entailed the application of the 5-R model to examine the aspects of the purchase that […]
• Company Procurement Management Plan The aspects of time, cost, and performance form a triangle demonstrating the cycle of the development of the project, which is rather challenging to stay within for a planner due to the uniqueness of most […]
• Public Procurement in the Czech Republic in 2008-15 The goal of this report is to measure the CRI with references to the identified risk indicators associated with public procurement in the Czech Republic during the period of 2008-2015.
• Fauquier Gas Company’s Procurement and Purchasing The manager for supply and purchasing, Bill Murphy, is concerned with the provision of the required tubes within the given time, although it is possible that the company will not be able to make the […]
• Hong Kong Textile and Apparel Industries Procurement The article “Strategic Procurement in Textile and Apparel Sourcing Companies in Hong Kong: A Practitioner’s Perspective” identifies different elements of procurement and strategic sourcing.
• Procurement Practices for Efficient Procurement Processes The author draws parallels between the procurement practices in the two companies in a bid to find out which set of procurement practices is best suited to a company.
• Michael Porter: Procurement Is Vital for Businesses Due to synergy in procurement process, the support of other companies is important to allow the procurement function to evaluate and bargain the prices with the suppliers across the market in search of the most […]
• Effects of Procurement Fraud on the US National Economy However, it is apparent that the increased movement of personnel from the private sector to the public sector and likewise from the public sector to the private sector heightens the risk of fraud.
• Procurement Cycle for Purchases However, the HP management was later faced with anxiety due to a high degree of uncertainty of the demand and supply of the flash memory, which in turn affects the prices of the printers.
• Tendering and Procurement in the Construction Industry The complex nature of the collaborative construction contracts also poses the issues of mistrust, and the scandals concerning the accountability of the parties involved in the contract agreements.
• UPS Procurement Strategy Analysis According to the UPS Supply Chain Solutions, ‘the company spent billions of dollars in a state-of-the-art tracking system and in the investment of some of the latest technologies in the industry’.
• Procurement to Build New Auditorium Documentation of the relevant issues pertaining to the project will be undertaken by competent procurement managers to plan and organise all the materials and resources required for completion of the project.
• DVS Company Issues: Sourcing, Procurement, and Overcrowding When it comes to the issue of sourcing and the issues that the DVS Company is currently facing in the given field, one must admit that the company’s problems stem mostly from inadequate sourcing.
• The Effect of Market-Type Procurement on the Public Sector In this particular context, the UK government chose this procurement model because it has the ability to increase choice for consumers, the rate of effectiveness as well as responsiveness of the service providers.
• Terms and Conditions in Business Relationships As to the ensuring aspect, the supplier is to take the responsibility for providing the described quality of the goods, which means that one is equally in charge of the production of the item and […]
• The Added Value of Procurement However, in business procurement, researchers conceptualize value in business relationships in terms of the value of the supplier bundle of products and services that is exchanged at a price to the purchaser and the long […]
• Procurement and Acquisitions The Federal Acquisition Regulations requires that the Federal agencies should influence the acquisitions of the various agencies in fostering markets in order to enhance sustainable materials, technologies, services, and products.
• IS/IT Procurement: How Automation of Invitation Tender Can Support and Assist Companies The slowest to move in to automation is the industrial and manufacturing world, but this trend has changed as more and more of these companies seek improvements on their services and production. In essence, the […]
• Procurement of Goods: Decision Support System Development In turn, the main objective of the DSS is to optimize the supply chain and minimize the likelihood of stock-outs and oversupply.
• An Internet Based Procurement Service The company targets clients from all over the world and hopes to be a major global online procurement service provider in the near future. Therefore, the company will be able to facilitate the purchase of […]
• Development Opportunities in Procurement Service We will work hand in hand with our customers to add value and surpass their expectations by enhancing our customer service, tools, organization, and the proficiency of our personnel.
• Project Management Procurement: Supply and Purchase It is proper for the managers to establish the evident gaps and varied needs in the institutions that require integration before the initiation of the procurement process.
• Benefits of the Public Private Partnership Procurement Model Furthermore, the public-private partnership has been able to utilize the qualifications of the management improving the efficiency of the private sectors, with maintenance of the output’s quality standard.
• Procurement Strategies for Companies When Encountering Natural Disasters The concept of procurement directly relates to the process of acquiring goods or services whether in a way that enables a company to meet the needs of its clientele in terms of the quality of […]
• The Evolution of US Military Logistical Procurement The success of the revolutionary war was attributed to the logistics employed by the George Washington as he coordinately combined the continental army and local militia and focuses his attacks on the weakest points of […]
• Procurement and Contracting Process The outsourcing process will enable the company to invest the available capital in the core of the business. The outsourcing contract has to be designed in a way that it secures the company’s independence in […]
• Public Procurement for Innovation as Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy
• Procurement Strategies: Advantages and Disadvantages
• The WTO Government Procurement Agreement and Its Impacts on Trade
• Lobbying and Contract Delegation in Public Procurement
• Optimal Procurement When Both Price and Quality Matter
• Procurement and Acuisitions Management: Fair Housing Internship
• Optimal Procurement Mechanisms for Divisible Goods With Capacitated Suppliers
• Optimal Cost Overruns: Procurement Auctions and Renegotiation
• Methods for Evaluating Proposals Bidding in Public Procurement to Internal Forces
• Managing Supply Disruption Through Procurement Strategy and Price Competition
• Technology-Based Small Firms and Regional Innovation Potential: The Role of Public Procurement
• Production And Procurement Management In Aviation
• The Agency Theory Approach to the Public Procurement System
• Improving Procurement Lead Times At Hill Air Force Base
• Fractional Institutional Endeavors and E-Procurement in Local Government
• Managing Electricity Procurement Cost and Risk by a Local Distribution Company
• Procurement: the Transaction Costs Perspective in a Globalising World
• Quality Management and Procurement in Construction Industry
• Procurement: Purchasing Management Association
• U.S. Procurement and Strategic Sourcing Activities
• Performance Indicators for Monitoring the Public Procurement
• Transportation Procurement With Seasonally Varying Shipper Demand and Volume Guarantees
• Procurement Outsourcing Strategies: Wonderful Widgets
• The Key Procurement Issues for the Client Construction
• Supply Chain Risk Management in Procurement and Logistics
• Public Procurement and Reputation: An Agent-Based Model
• Purchasing and Procurement Strategy in Food Industry Marketing
• Procurement With Costly Bidding, Optimal Shortlisting, and Rebates
• Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business
• Selecting the Most Appropriate Procurement Strategy
• The Procurement Strategy Selection Analysis Job Construction
• Procurement With Unenforceable Contract Time and the Law of Liquidated Damages
• Local Food Procurement and Promotion Strategies of Food Cooperatives
• Sequential Procurement Auctions and Their Effect on Investment Decisions
• Limited Liability and Mechanism Design in Procurement
• Research Design and Methodology for Procurement in Public Sector
• Understanding the Innovation Impacts of Public Procurement
• Government Procurement and the Growth of Small Firms
• Procurement, Conversion and Logistics Management
• Reputation, Competition, and Entry in Procurement
• Strategies for Managing Disruptions in Procurement
• Ways to Establish Supply Chain Transparency
• Procurement Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Procurement Ethics: Legal and Regulatory Challenges
• Environmental Criteria for Sustainable Procurement
• Social Responsibility Regarding Supplier Diversity in Procurement
• The Impact of Globalization on Procurement Strategies and Practices
• Identifying Red Flags and Preventive Measures for Procurement Fraud
• Artificial Intelligence and Procurement: Applications and Future Implications
• Risk Assessment in International Procurement in Times of Economic Uncertainty
• Sustainability in Procurement Decision-Making
• Introduction to Procurement: Basics and Key Concepts
• Best Practices in Procurement Used by Industry Leaders
• AI, Blockchain, and Other Innovations in Procurement
• Identification and Mitigation of Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
• Outsourcing vs. Insourcing for Strategic Procurement Decisions.
• How to Cultivate Strong and Collaborative Partnerships with Suppliers
• Challenges and Opportunities of Public Procurement in the Government Sector
• Optimizing Supplier Selection and Negotiation Strategies for Strategic Sourcing
• Measuring Procurement Performance: Key Metrics and KPIs for Success
• Agile Project Management Research Topics
• Contract Law Research Ideas
• Online Shopping Questions
• Grocery Store Essay Topics
• DHL Research Topics
• FedEx Ideas
• Operations Strategy Titles
• Construction Management Research Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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The landscape of public procurement research: a bibliometric analysis and topic modelling based on Scopus

Journal of Public Procurement

ISSN : 1535-0118

Article publication date: 16 March 2023

Issue publication date: 1 August 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate the structure and dynamics of academic articles relating to public procurement (PP) in the period 1984–2022 (up to May). The researchers also intend to analyse how this knowledge domain has grown since 1984.

Design/methodology/approach

A bibliometric analysis was carried out to examine the existing state of PP research. Based on 640 journal articles indexed in the Scopus database and written by 1,247 authors over nearly four decades, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal the intellectual structure of academic works pertaining to PP.

Findings reveal that PP research from Scopus has significantly increased in the past decade. Major journals publishing PP research are International Journal of Procurement Management , Journal of Cleaner Production , Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and Public Money and Management . Results also indicate that authors’ cooperation network is fragmented, showing limited collaboration among PP researchers. In addition, results suggest that the institutional collaboration network in PP research mirrors what is commonly referred to as the North–South divide, signifying insufficient research collaboration between developed and developing countries’ institutions. According to the co-occurrence keyword network and topic modelling, PP revolves around five main themes, including innovation, corruption, sustainable and green PP, PP contracts and small and medium enterprises. Based on these results, several directions for future research are suggested.

Social implications

This paper provides an increased understanding of the entire PP field and the potential research directions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first-ever application of bibliometric techniques and topic modelling to examine the development of PP research since 1984 based on scholarly publications extracted from the Scopus database.

• Public procurement
• Sustainability
• Bibliometric

Rejeb, A. , Rejeb, K. , Appolloni, A. , Kayikci, Y. and Iranmanesh, M. (2023), "The landscape of public procurement research: a bibliometric analysis and topic modelling based on Scopus", Journal of Public Procurement , Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 145-178. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-06-2022-0031

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Abderahman Rejeb, Karim Rejeb, Andrea Appolloni, Yasanur Kayikci and Mohammad Iranmanesh.

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial & non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

The purchasing of products and services by public entities, referred to as public procurement (PP), is recognised as a key market force ( Obwegeser and Müller, 2018 ) [ 1 ]. As a crucial economic activity of governments, PP contributes significantly to a country’s gross domestic product (GDP). A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicates that around 12% of the GDP of OECD nations is composed of PP ( OECD, 2022 ). In industrialised countries, PP can account for up to 70% of government expenditure, especially in unstable regimes ( Ambe, 2019 ). Theoretically, PP is described as the purchase of products and services necessary for public institutions to achieve their functional goals ( Kristensen et al. , 2021 ). According to Snider and Rendon (2012) , PP encompasses a number of methods through which public institutions and entities acquire products and services from external vendors. Likewise, Thai (2001) notes that PP covers several contract management activities, including contracting, buying, leasing and renting, as well as contract administration. Government policy can be supported by PP, which can be used to impact the economy, industry and society as a whole ( Harland et al. , 2019 ). For instance, PP can drive innovation ( Amann and Essig, 2015 ) and encourage small-business entrepreneurship ( Budak et al. , 2017 ; Hoekman and Taş, 2022 ). In addition, PP can serve as a mechanism for improving socio-economic circumstances ( Uenk and Telgen, 2019 ), thus addressing wider sustainability concerns ( Sönnichsen and Clement, 2020 ). PP can also play an important role in promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) ( Snider et al. , 2013 ). Wontner et al. (2020) highlight that PP can influence employment creation and several scholars assert that PP can boost economic growth and improve public service quality in many countries ( Uyarra et al. , 2020 ; Vecchiato and Roveda, 2014 ). Participation of domestic vendors in government contracts has the potential to influence national economies ( Uyarra et al. , 2020 ). Consequently, PP can increase the competitiveness of supply markets if effectively leveraged.

Ferreira et al. (2014) note that it is crucial for scholars to occasionally reflect on the knowledge created and gathered to inspire contributions, discern research traditions and trends, comprehend which subjects are covered, the methods and theories applied and identify the intellectual structure, knowledge body and perspective topics for future research in a specific field. Scientography refers to the graphic detection of “hidden patterns” in the knowledge landscape of a certain scientific field ( García-Lillo et al. , 2019 ). Similarities exist between landscape mapping and cartography in terms of information visualisation, clarity and simplicity ( Chen, 2003 ; Chen and Paul, 2001 ). However, the aim of scientography is to track knowledge structure and identify research hotspots or frontiers in a certain academic domain by bringing in diverse areas such as information visualisation technology, high-performance computers and advanced digital databases ( Zou et al. , 2018 ).

The recent 15 years have seen a tremendous expansion in the PP literature, with a number of reviews examining different aspects of PP. For instance, Raymond (2008) examines the basic principles of PP and how they can be benchmarked in a literature review. According to Raymond (2008) , reform solutions for PP processes must address issues of openness, value for money, accountability, ethics and a professional workforce. Cheng et al. (2018) summarise the literature pertaining to green PP (GPP) based on English-language papers published between 2000 and 2016. The study indicates that previous research focuses mostly on the specific effects of GPP adoption, while the efficiency and innovation implications of GPP compared to other environmental policy instruments are neglected. In a similar spirit, Sönnichsen and Clement (2020) conduct a comprehensive analysis of early articles on sustainable and green procurement. Awareness and comprehension of circular PP characteristics, based on the development of a circular strategy and policy, are essential for the realisation of circular PP, according to this research. Moreover, Burghardt and Pashkevich (2021) examine the fundamental aspects of GPP and uncertainties in road marking materials, including paints, plastic masses and tapes. Lastly, Hamilton (2022) evaluates the emerging landscape of PP policy and supply chain regulation in high-income economies by examining the grey and academic literature. According to the findings of the review, leading nations are adopting a mandated approach to sustainable PP (SPP) and due diligence regulations are shifting supply chains from reputational harm to legal liability. Additionally, themes associated with technological innovation and green production occupy a prominent place in the SPP literature, while themes concerning social sustainability, poverty, inequality and human rights remain ignored.

How has PP research evolved since its exposure in the Scopus database?

What are the current research foci of scholars and knowledge structure (i.e. the relationships between the concepts) in the selected publications?

Who are the most prominent authors and publications in the PP domain?

Which scholars and institutions demonstrate the highest levels of collaboration in the PP domain?

This review is organised as follows. Section 2 describes the four-step method used to apply the bibliometric analysis. Next, in Section 3, the research results are discussed. Based on the findings of the bibliometric analysis, Section 4 suggests several directions for future research. Finally, we discuss research findings, implications and limitations in Section 5.

2. Research method

specify the search database and the keywords;

conduct a preliminary analysis of the data;

analyse bibliometric networks; and

perform thematic analysis, conceptual structure analysis and historiographic analysis.

The study used several tools, including R software, bibliometrix, rentrez, ggplot2 and wordcloud. Moreover, VOSviewer was used to generate and visualise the bibliometric networks ( van Eck and Waltman, 2009 ). This computer program was chosen because of its ability to combine text mining techniques and visualisation, thereby enabling the efficient handling of network visualisation tasks. This section discusses in detail the method used.

2.1 Selection of database and search keywords

We extracted all publications related to PP from Scopus. This academic database is one of the largest repositories for abstracts and citations of peer-reviewed documents, including journal articles and conference proceedings ( Omotehinwa, 2022 ). Scopus also has numerous operating functions that simplify the application of bibliometric analyses and it is extensively used by researchers to obtain high-quality analyses ( Aazami et al. , 2020 ; Yao et al. , 2018 ). As a property of Elsevier, Scopus is relatively more comprehensive than PubMed or Web of Science (WoS). For example, Garrido-Cardenas et al. (2020) argue that Scopus covers 84% of the WoS titles, whereas only 54% of the publications in Scopus are indexed in WoS. Scopus is also more precise than Google Scholar because of its superior control over the referred publications and the controlled indexing ( Dinić and Jevremov, 2021 ). As a result, the Scopus database was the only reasonable option for conducting the study because of its accessibility and extensive coverage of peer-reviewed academic literature ( Mongeon and Paul-Hus, 2016 ). The gathered data included the authors’ names, publication titles, journals, publication types, abstracts, authors’ affiliations and articles’ numbers. For further analysis, these data were extracted and exported in CSV format. Consistent with Cheng et al. (2018) , the following search string was used in the article’s title, abstract and keywords fields to extract data from Scopus: “public procurement” OR “public purchas*” OR “government procurement” OR “government purchas*”. The use of this search string enabled us to obtain a manageable number of articles for the manual screening and to reduce false positive results because of the lack of precise keywords unrelated to the study subject. Only journal articles and reviews written in English were selected since they represent a source of peer-reviewed and certified knowledge ( Ramos-Rodríguez and Ruíz-Navarro, 2004 ). The search was done on 29 May, 2022, and 977 articles were located. Next, the titles and abstracts of the publications were evaluated for relevance, resulting in the elimination of 337 publications owing to a lack of relevance to the topic of the research. Thus, 640 articles were selected for the final analysis [ 1 ].

2.2 Preliminary analysis of publications

A BibTeX format of all publications’ metadata was retrieved, including authors’ names and articles’ titles, abstracts and keywords. The main information related to the selected sample is presented in Table 1 . The table shows that the collaboration index was 2.36. Ajiferuke et al. (2005) introduced the collaboration index, which is considered a unique metric for fractional productivity, drawing on the research of De Solla Price and Beaver (1966) . In this index, a number close to zero indicates that single-authored publications predominate. Researchers conducting meta-analytic works argue about the inclusion of publications in the analysis. For instance, Della Corte et al. (2018) selected journal publications solely, whereas the work of Aryadoust and Ang (2021) was based on books and journal publications. This study only included peer-reviewed journal articles.

2.3 Network analysis

Social network analysis (SNA) represents a multi-disciplinary analytic approach that incorporates computer science, statistics and mathematics and it has evolved swiftly into a formal analysis technique. From a network perspective, the use of the SNA approach in the synthesis of the current literature can uncover useful hidden patterns that can help theory development and identify future research areas ( Khan and Wood, 2016 ). While numerous statistical metrics have been created to analyse a network ( Knoke and Yang, 2019 ), this study primarily considers three metrics: network size, diameter and density. In the academic literature, SNA approaches have been applied extensively. Previous studies have, for instance, explored co-citation networks ( Rejeb et al. , 2022 ; Sanguri et al. , 2020 ). According to Li et al. (2022) , a co-citation network represents a knowledge network comprised of two publications simultaneously referenced in a third publication and it indicates the scientific foundation and development trend of a certain research field. Furthermore, co-citation networks are useful for evaluating the semantic similarity between publications or authors ( Yang et al. , 2015 ). Studying co-citation trends across time enables researchers to uncover paradigm changes in academic fields ( Gmür, 2006 ; Kraus et al. , 2020 ). Furthermore, the structure of a knowledge field can be revealed using source co-citation networks ( Ji et al. , 2020 ). Wakefield (2008) notes that source co-citation can visually demonstrate the knowledge patterns that possibly imply similarities across academic journals, such as methodology or research scope. Finally, collaboration networks are widely used in several bibliometric studies ( Peng et al. , 2017 ; Rejeb et al. , 2021 ). As a valuable bibliometric tool, collaboration networks constitute a graphical representation (map) in which nodes indicate authors, countries or institutions and linkages between nodes reflect co-authorships between researchers, institutions or countries, i.e. international cooperation in academic research ( Ramos-Rincón et al. , 2019 ). Specifically, researchers’ collaborative efforts were discovered to achieve mutual benefits, promote research innovation and knowledge dissemination and enhance research quality ( Zou et al. , 2018 ). Similarly, Glänzel and Schubert (2005) observe that compared to single-authored publications, those written by many authors have a greater chance of being published in high-impact journals and getting more citations. Ding (2011) further shows that co-operation across universities can foster research partnerships, thereby benefitting policymaking efforts. Lastly, keyword co-occurrence networks can help to capture signal-words or core research themes discussed in a certain knowledge field ( Rejeb et al. , 2020 ). As a valuable data mining technique, a keyword co-occurrence network analysis enables researchers to understand the major streams of inquiry that have shaped the development of the PP field ( Zhang et al. , 2022 ). In the network, each node represents a keyword and its colour reflects the cluster to which it has belonged. The size of the node is proportional to the occurrence of the keyword and the thickness of the edges indicates the strength of connection between two keywords ( Rejeb et al. , 2020 ).

2.4 Analysis of the thematic and conceptual structure

The centrality and density metrics of Callon et al. (2005) serve as the foundation for strategic or thematic maps initially introduced by Law et al. (2005) . These maps help researchers to explore the development of themes obtained from the co-occurrence of keywords ( Agbo et al. , 2021 ; Sharma et al. , 2021 ). The methods used to create these maps draw inspiration from both co-word networks and financial portfolio analysis ( Zong et al. , 2013 ). The strength of the thematic map lies in its ability to differentiate the centrality and density of research within several categories ( Mobin et al. , 2021 ). The density of a theme indicates its progress, while centrality describes the extent of the relation among different themes ( Esfahani et al. , 2019 ). The construction of a thematic map, which determines themes by grouping recurrent keywords, offers additional objective insights beyond those provided by the conceptual structure map ( Bajaj et al. , 2022 ). With the use of a thematic map, it is possible to intuitively and easily identify the core themes and provide the groundwork for further investigation of the different categories to which themes are assigned ( Cobo et al. , 2011 ). In the academic literature, thematic maps have been widely applied ( Martínez-Vázquez et al. , 2021 ; Mumu et al. , 2021 ).

Another way to visualise knowledge is through conceptual structure maps. Using these maps, a scientific field may be broken down into different research clusters ( Bajaj et al. , 2022 ; Raza et al. , 2020 ). Keywords are shown as points on the map, and results are shown according to the relative position of the points. Closer points suggest more publications discussing the concepts together, whereas farther-apart points imply fewer publications discussing the concepts together ( Cuccurullo et al. , 2016 ). As a result, keyword citation bursts or emerging research trends can be identified in this manner ( Cobo et al. , 2011 ). In other words, it is possible to better comprehend which research hotspots commonly arise in the literature ( Guo et al. , 2021 ).

3.1 Scholarly production, main journals and prominent authors

We began by tracking the development of PP research. Figure 1 depicts the number of articles discussing PP. We can observe from the figure that few papers were published each year through 2008, suggesting that scholarly production looks to be somewhat limited. This phase can be termed the initial stage of PP research. Since 2009, the number of papers published on PP has grown significantly, indicating the strong interest of researchers in the PP field ( Ambe, 2019 ; Cheng et al. , 2018 ). The past decade is characterised by a boom in academic output; thus, it can be referred to as the growth phase of the PP domain. As per Cutcher et al. (2020) , PP represents an essential mechanism of modern public governance owing to the participation of non-government actors in achieving policy goals. For this reason, it is anticipated that the number of papers on PP will expand in the years to come.

Figure 2 depicts a wordcloud of the impactful Scopus-indexed journals publishing academic papers on PP. It is used to present the most influential journals in the field, where the size of the label corresponds to the number of citations received by the journal. From the chart, it is obvious that the most influential outlets publishing in the PP field are journals like Journal of Cleaner Production , Research Policy , Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management , International Journal of Operations and Production Management and Supply Chain Management .

The Bradford law is useful for assessing the output of academic journals ( Kumar and Dora, 2011 ). The law emerges from the need to identify the relevant journals that publish articles on the topic of interest throughout the time frame of the research ( Burrell, 1989 ). According to the law:

[…] if scientific journals are arranged in order of decreasing productivity of articles on a given subject, they may be divided into a nucleus of periodicals more particularly devoted to the subject and several groups or zones containing the same number of articles as the nucleus ( Bradford, 1934 , p. 85).

Figure 3 depicts the Bradford law in the academic publications discussing PP. When applying the Bradford law, via R-Biblioshiny, the inverse relationship of Bradford (1934) is obvious, as the first zone of the figure represents the core zone (or Bradford zone 1) and comprises a small number of academic journals such as International Journal of Procurement Management , Journal of Cleaner Production , Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management and Public Money and Management . This suggests that just eight outlets account for the majority of PP-related research articles ( Table 2 ).

Figure 4 shows the dominance of authors throughout time as reflected in the Scopus database. Yakovlev A. dominated from 2015 to 2022, Tkachenko A. from 2015 to 2021 and Patrucco A.S. from 2017 to 2021 ( Table 3 ). It seems from the graph that Davis P.’s reign of dominance remained for a brief period (2015–2017). The current research measures the concentration of PP contributors using Lotka’s law ( Patra and Mishra, 2006 ). This law asserts that the number of authors publishing n articles should be proportionate to 1/ n 2 if authors are ordered according to the number of their publications ( Yeung, 2018 ). In brief, according to Lotka’s law, there exists an inverse connection between the number of authors and the number of publications produced by each author ( Kinnucan and Wolfram, 1990 ). We used the bibliometrix R-package to apply Lotka’s law to the PP literature. Figure 5 shows the Lotka’s distribution. At the standard 0.05 significant level, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov two-sample test reveals no statistically significant differences between the empirical and theoretical distributions. Moreover, the long tail for single-publication authors illustrated in Figure 5 implies that some scholars have investigated PP as a subordinate study subject. Based on the findings, it seems that Lotka’s law holds true in PP-related articles. Similar findings are also observed in other fields of study ( Vieira and Brito, 2015 ).

3.2 Network analysis

3.2.1 collaboration networks..

Figure 6 shows the authors’ collaboration network in the PP field, with a size of 1,247, density of 0.002 and diameter of 7. According to network data, collaboration among authors is rather weak. The figure depicts a few closely connected research communities distinguished by their respective colours. The remainder of the network is fractured, showing that the most prominent scholars prefer to work in silos. The involvement of islands cut off from the rest of the scientific community is also confirmed in previously published results ( Khan and Wood, 2016 ). Furthermore, Figure 7 depicts the institutional collaboration network in the PP field, with a size, density and diameter of 712, 0.003 and 14, respectively. The network demonstrates little collaboration between institutions, for instance, the University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School and Aalborg University collaborate extensively. This sort of collaboration has been dubbed “locally-centralised globally-discrete” by Zou et al. (2018) . It may also reflect a North–South divide since, despite the fact that research collaboration among the UK universities is robust, research cooperation between academic institutions from developed and developing countries is limited. Interestingly, language and geographic proximity seem to be the driving forces for research collaboration in the PP field.

3.2.2 Analysis of keywords and keywords co-occurrence.

Keywords, despite their high abstraction, have been widely employed in academic research to reveal core content and thematic trends in academic publications ( Abdollahi et al. , 2021 ). Figure 8 depicts a wordcloud consisting of keywords from PP-related publications’ abstracts. The figure shows that “procurement”, “public”, “innovation”, “contract”, “government” and “policy” are the most often used search terms. Figure 9 shows the keyword growth dynamics based on keyword plus. Keywords that experience abrupt bursts indicate trends and priorities in PP research ( Neff and Corley, 2009 ). Examples of keywords include GPP (green public procurement), SPP (sustainable public procurement), corruption and innovation. Similarly, these keywords signify potential fronts or hotspots of PP research since the knowledge body in a particular academic field can be considered a chain of ideas that emerge, increase in prominence for a specific time and eventually fade ( Colicchia et al. , 2018 ).

In this study, a keyword co-occurrence network is generated with a size, diameter and density equal to 1,606, 7 and 0.004, respectively. Figure 10 shows the construction of five different clusters as a result of selecting the top 40 most frequent keywords. From the network, it is evident that the first cluster in red is the most important one. The topic of this cluster is the relationship between innovation and PP. PP, innovation, policy, PP of innovation and innovation policy are all related keywords in this cluster. Amann and Essig (2015) emphasise that PP is a valuable instrument for innovation despite barriers hampering its implementation (e.g. complexity and risks). Moreover, Bleda and Chicot (2020) note that PP can encourage business innovation by allowing the creation of new markets for services, products and technologies. Caloghirou et al. (2016) also argue that PP innovation contributes to better value-added e-Government services, enables efficient resource management and organisational operations and promotes economies of scale. As a result, PP plays a vital role in facilitating the generation and synchronisation of knowledge across all phases of the market growth process.

The keyword “PPP” (public-private partnerships) appears more frequently in the cluster, indicating the importance of this procurement model in PP research. Conceptually, public–private partnerships (PPPs) refer to a wide variety of private and public sector collaborations in the academic literature ( Almarri and Abuhijleh, 2017 ; Carbonara and Pellegrino, 2020 ; Dolla and Laishram, 2019 ). More specifically, PPPs are specific contractual agreements between public and private entities created to finance, develop, manage and maintain infrastructure ( Chou and Pramudawardhani, 2015 ). However, it has been suggested that various forms of public arrangements, from conventional contracting to innovative procurement ( Obwegeser and Müller, 2018 ; Sirotkina and Pavlovskaya, 2018 ), can benefit from partnership traits, including mutual aims, trust and a sense of reciprocity. As a result, the PPP concept is used here to comprehend common collaborative connections between private and public enterprises ( Essig and Batran, 2005 ; Torvinen and Ulkuniemi, 2016 ). The quality and consistency of public services can be enhanced through PPPs if they are managed effectively by increasing resource and risk sharing, lowering transaction costs, encouraging closer inter-firm collaboration and clarifying contract specifications ( Erridge and Greer, 2002 ; Kwak et al. , 2009 ). To begin PPP planning, it is necessary to identify and document any potential risks that can arise throughout the project’s development. The risks of a PPP project are different since they depend on the specific services provided and the project itself. Despite this, many different PPPs have similar risks, which allows for classifying PPPs into risk categories. For example, risks facing PP projects can be divided into commercial risks and political and legal risks. Two subsets of commercial risks include demand risks and supply risks. The potential risks associated with demand revolve around the possibility that the actual user volumes may fall short of projections. In contrast, the risks related to construction and operations are two types of supply risks. In addition, political and legal risks include government policies, resolution of disputes, taxes and regulations. Certain kinds of PPP projects also include standard risk lists and recommended risk allocations that can help with risk identification. Nonetheless, the complexity and uniqueness of certain PPP projects need substantial study by professionals to identify the risks involved. In the context of PPP projects in Singapore, Hwang et al. (2013) highlight that the development of a well-organised public agency, the setting of adequate risk allocation and sharing, the formation of a strong private consortium and the introduction of innovative, creative and cost-effective solutions can be possible measures to circumvent critical risk factors to PPP. Similarly, Ameyaw and Chan (2016) find that commitment of partners, consortium strength, asset quality and social support, political environment and national PPP unit represent the main critical success factors for the implementation of water PPP projects in developing countries.

The second blue cluster revolves around corruption and the solutions to overcome this issue in PP. As such, corruption is defined as the use of public authority for private benefits ( Sharma et al. , 2019 ). Theft, embezzlement, bribery, exploiting conflicts, improper political contributions and abuse of discretion are all examples of corruption ( Neupane et al. , 2014 ). Corruption in the PP context is linked to insufficient professionalisation of national bureaucracies, hidden and improper procurement planning, lack of a monitoring and controlling system, transparency issues and lack of accountability ( Psota et al. , 2020 ). Therefore, the development of reliable PP performance measurements is essential for curbing corruption practices ( Osei-Tutu et al. , 2010 ). Public e-procurement can also be adopted to minimise the risk of corruption in PP activities because it enables to monitor and standardise procurement, improve accountability and transparency, promote effective governance and ameliorate the delivery of public sector services ( Neupane et al. , 2014 ).

The third cluster (green-coloured) concentrates on SPP and GPP. SPP represents one of the essential policy instruments that governments may employ to solve sustainability concerns ( Amann et al. , 2014 ; Etse et al. , 2021 ). Romodina and Silin (2016) argue that SPP comprises a combination of practices, policies and laws intended to integrate economic, social and environmental risks into PP activities and decisions to maximise profitability across the whole product life cycle. Unlike SPP, GPP focuses mainly on the environmental dimension of sustainability and aims to facilitate the achievement of environmental goals via green purchasing ( Cheng et al. , 2018 ; Malatinec, 2019 ). GPP is also of significant value in countries and regions where it is extensively implemented, as it promotes resource sustainability for future generations, encourages the market to be more innovative in the development of environmentally-friendly products and services and lowers the overall costs of purchasing and disposing of products and services ( Ngunjiri, 2019 ).

The fourth cluster (purple-coloured) deals with PP contracts and includes keywords such as procurement, sustainability, contracting, contract, governance, regulation and COVID-19. As a PP contract is being carried out, private operators may propose novel approaches to enhance the quality of services beyond the baseline expectations. For example, recent developments in waste treatment include renegotiated contracts with the French firm SARP to include new equipment for facilitating the extraction and valorisation of metals like Nickel and Zinc from the waste collection centres. This innovation, prompted by environmental issues, is expected to improve the worldwide quality of waste treatment. To address PP limitations, the public sector can rely on partnerships in the form of contracts to accomplish common objectives in critical crises such as COVID-19 since they increase the public sector’s flexibility and capability to deliver services to communities ( Vecchi et al. , 2020 ).

Finally, the fifth cluster (orange-coloured) focuses on the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in PP. Related keywords in this cluster include public sector, SME, capability and tendering. The involvement of SMEs in PP is a challenging task, and according to Flynn and Davis (2017) , SMEs should allocate resources to improve their tendering capabilities and develop buyer involvement plans. The firm size, measured by the number of employees, is also proven to considerably influence the tendering resources, behaviour and success of SMEs ( Flynn et al. , 2015 ). As a result, micro-businesses have less resources, tender less frequently and have a far lower rate of success compared to their larger counterparts.

3.3 Topic modelling

To obtain a deeper understanding of the main topics discussed in the journal articles researching PP, topic modelling approaches were applied to the articles’ abstracts, as it is commonly believed that abstracts reflect the core substance of publications ( Chen et al. , 2020 ). Conceptually, topic modelling represents a machine learning approach that searches for patterns in the usage of words and injects semantic meaning into vocabulary, where a topic is a cluster of often occurring words ( Greene et al. , 2014 ). Topic modelling simplifies the analysis of vast volumes of unlabelled text, links words with related meanings and differentiates the usage of words with numerous meanings ( Zou et al. , 2015 ). Typically, topic modelling is employed to uncover latent topics or themes in a text corpus (i.e. a large group of text documents). This approach considers each topic to be a composite of many various themes in a given text. The current study applied the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) technique to identify the latent topics hidden in the abstracts of the selected PP-related publications ( Hino and Fahey, 2019 ). Generally, this technique has been widely used in studies examining public discourse and sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic ( Xue et al. , 2020 ), Industry 4.0 ( Janmaijaya et al. , 2021 ) and world trade ( Kozlowski et al. , 2021 ). We began by preprocessing text to enhance data quality ( Chen et al. , 2021 ). In particular, we used tokenization (i.e. the process of dividing a piece of text into words) to break down abstracts into word units, and we applied normalisation to change all uppercase characters to lowercase. Additionally, stemming was used to diminish inflected versions of words. Punctuations, stop words and numbers were also eliminated since they are poorly descriptive of the publication’s substance ( Salton, 1991 ). The LDA process resulted in six major topics covered in the PP literature, as shown in Figure 11 . From the figure, we observe that the first topic focuses mostly on GPP, while the second topic is related to innovation and SMEs in PP. The third cluster deals with sustainability efforts in local government procurement practices. The fourth topic discusses PP contracts and describes how the public sector can implement social targets and policies by contracting with other parties through PP activities. The fifth topic concerns the menace of corruption in PP and the need for standardisation of PP processes and enhanced compliance to combat this issue. Finally, the sixth topic studies several aspects of PP contracts, including costs, competition and prices.

3.4 Conceptual structure and thematic maps

To explore the conceptual structure of the PP field, we conducted a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). In the R-bibliometrix package, MCA was used to generate the conceptual structure map by evaluating the proximity of keywords in articles ( Demiroz and Haase, 2019 ). Distributionally comparable keywords are shown closer together on the map ( Mobin et al. , 2021 ). Furthermore, we drew on R’s conceptualStructure function to retrieve author keywords. We also applied k-means clustering to form clusters with common concepts, considering the homogeneity of terms in the map ( Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017 ; Nita, 2019 ). This k-means algorithm is widely applied for clustering, and its use with MCA generates a two-dimensional plot that depicts the most relevant keywords and their associations and highlights emerging research trends in the knowledge field ( Zhang et al. , 2017 ).

Figure 12 depicts the conceptual structure map of the academic publications related to PP. The diagram illustrates two different clusters for the PP research’s intellectual structure. The red cluster contains keywords that concentrate on three main aspects of PP, including sustainability, innovation and SMEs. Sustainability, SPP, GPP, sustainable development, innovation, PP of innovation and SME are a few examples. Representative studies include Cheng et al. (2018) , who note that GPP has the potential to play a significant role in modifying unsustainable consumption and production patterns because it is based on the incorporation of environmental concerns into the procurement of public products and services. In addition, Sönnichsen and Clement (2020) evaluate the literature pertaining to GPP and SPP and point out that these forms of procurement have characteristics that make PP more complicated than tendering and buying situations based on the lowest upfront price. Related to innovation, representative studies include Edler and Georghiou (2007) , who describe PP as a crucial part of demand-oriented innovation strategy; Aschhoff and Sofka (2009) , who incorporate PP within the larger context of public policies to promote innovation; and Georghiou et al. (2014) who look into the essentials of innovation procurement policy and provide a comprehensive taxonomy of procurement tools and rules that have emerged in OECD countries. In the SME context, representative studies include Karjalainen and Kemppainen (2008) , who explore the type of resources and attributes that influence SME participation in PP; Loader and Norton (2015) , who examine the issues facing SMEs in serving the public sector; and Kidalov and Snider (2011) , who offer a comparative perspective of PP policies for SMEs in Europe and the USA.

The second cluster in blue includes keywords like corruption, electronic PP (E-PP), transparency and efficiency. This cluster revolves around corruption in PP and the solutions to battle this ubiquitous issue. Representative studies include Chiappinelli (2020) , who presents a novel theoretical framework for understanding the predominance of PP corruption; Grossi and Pianezzi (2018) , who analyse the importance of public accountability in the fight against PP corruption; and Neu et al. (2015) , who argue that effective anti-corruption strategies rely on knowledge and evaluation of politics and practises and that transparent structures can impede corrupt PP actions and influence organisational ethics.

Figure 13 depicts the thematic or strategic map of PP research. The sizes of the bubbles represent the number of times the keywords appear in the selected publications. According to Cobo et al. (2011) , the quadrant of the motor themes contains both internally and externally well-developed themes that are characterised by a high density and a high centrality. Further, the quadrant of the niche themes includes all themes with well-developed internal connections and marginally important external connections. Such themes are also described as isolated and highly developed in the literature. The quadrant of the emerging or declining themes comprises all themes that have weak internal and external linkages and are featured by a low density and centrality. The quadrant of the basic themes contains themes characterised by low density and high centrality. These themes have weak internal linkages but significant external linkages. To this end, themes with high density and centrality are situated in the first top-right quadrant. Therefore, themes within this quadrant are well-established and can impact the research field. Consequently, themes such as “Innovation”, “PPP”, “Public Procurement of Innovation” and “Construction” have remained foundational and pervasive over the four decades of PP research. In contrast, themes like “Sustainability”, “Governance”, “Contracting” and “Compliance”, “Corruption”, “E-PP”, “Transparency” and “Efficiency” are featured by low density but high centrality, indicating that although they can impact other topics, they are not completely established and may inform future research gaps. Keywords in the upper-left quadrant, including “SME”, “Tendering” and “Capability” constitute a niche theme that is well-developed with regard to internal linkages but has weak external linkages and is of minimal relevance. Keywords situated in the lower-left quadrant such as “GPP”, “SPP” and “Sustainable Development” are examples of weakly developed and emerging themes.

4. Future research directions

This study demonstrates that mainstream research on PP has mainly focused on the role of PP in improving innovation activities. For example, Blind et al. (2020) argue that PP of innovation enables organisations to improve their export potential and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of delivering products and services to public authorities. Zhang and Xu (2021) also highlight that innovativeness in PP can contribute to the development of new services and technologies and the improvement of management and work practices. While the theme of innovation has received significant attention in the PP literature, the barriers and management issues related to PP for innovation are relatively under studied ( Caloghirou et al. , 2016 ). As a result, future studies should examine the link between the benefits and barriers to innovation. Quantitative research aiming at exploring the link between innovation and PP is required to identify the nature of the relationship between innovative performances and procurement activities ( Caravella and Crespi, 2021 ). The previous literature disregards the anticipated beneficial consequences of the new process of promoting the innovative capacities of suppliers or upgrading the public infrastructure. Furthermore, academics are hampered in their efforts to systematically advance state-of-the-art understanding of innovation in PP because of the conceptual interconnection across the many disciplines and the vagueness of important ideas in the area ( Obwegeser and Müller, 2018 ).

PP activities provide a fertile ground for corruption ( Basheka, 2009 ). In this regard, Neupane et al. (2014) point out that PP processes are rife with corruption and fraud, especially in procurement planning, tender processes, project documentation, contract award and execution and accounting and auditing. Similarly, Gottschalk and Smith (2016) stress that despite the plethora of procedures and policies used by most public organisations to safeguard the stewardship of public funds, PP seems to be especially susceptible to corruption. Future studies are required to examine the role of ethics in combating corruption and add to the PP literature that has previously explored the mechanisms that establish the PP professional subject ( Cooper and Marder, 2022 ; Montalbán-Domingo et al. , 2018 ; Sargiacomo et al. , 2015 ). Even though there is an increased reliance on private organisations in PP ( Keränen, 2017 ), little is known about the ethical consequences of this trend in the academic literature ( Hawkins et al. , 2011 ). While concerns have been voiced in relation to corruption from the demand perspective (government), the supply perspective has garnered less attention ( Sikka and Lehman, 2015 ). Thus, increased attention is needed to develop effective mechanisms that increase the transparency of PP processes and easily detect fraud and potential opportunism ( Afolabi et al. , 2020 ). Moreover, a pending research question is how the adoption of emerging technologies (e.g. big data analytics, blockchain technology and artificial intelligence) can serve as a tool to curb fraudulent practices in PP ( Ahmad et al. , 2021 ), reduce process inefficiencies ( Velasco et al. , 2021 ) and anticipate problematic PP contracts ( Gallego et al. , 2021 ). As a result, future studies on the impact of modern technology-enabled PP on efficiency and corruption levels are necessary to enable competitive tendering processes, increase transparency and establish accountability for PP decisions ( Knack et al. , 2019 ).

Substantial research has been conducted on GPP and SPP as tools to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability. However, little research has been devoted to investigating the utility of circular PP. While public tendering and procurement are beginning to adapt to the principles of the circular economy, this process is still in its infancy ( Sönnichsen and Clement, 2020 ). Therefore, future studies should shed light on how circular PP can be a significant impetus for not only environmental and ecological innovation but also for overcoming the existing lack of support for innovation by the private and public sectors ( Ntsondé and Aggeri, 2021 ). Because PP is not a discrete activity limited to the procurement department, the complexity of PP processes seems to rise while transitioning from GPP and SPP to circular PP. According to Sönnichsen and Clement (2020) , circular PP is the process by which governments acquire products and services with the goal of developing closed material and energy loops and reducing or eliminating their negative effects on the environment and the generation of waste over their entire lifecycle. The research is still divided about how much of an effect circular PP has on fostering green market development and sustainable innovation. However, studies have shown that it might be challenging for local authorities to encourage public sector innovation by means of circular PP. Aldenius and Khan (2017) , for example, draw attention to the challenges encountered by local authorities that want to stimulate innovation in certain technologies but lack comprehensive specifications of the functional requirements needed. Some academics even argue that circular PP is ineffective at its stated goal of fostering sustainable markets ( Lundberg et al. , 2015 ). They argue that private enterprises will not modify their methods and instead create specialised goods for public markets, resulting in adverse environmental impacts even though circular PP can drive public parties to boost their consumption of sustainable and environmentally-friendly products and services. As a result, Cheng et al. (2018) draw the conclusion that there is a lack of evidence of the possible influence of circular PP on markets and innovation from their analysis of the literature on circular PP. Thus, future research should analyse how the implementation of this procurement type can impact supply chain configurations and stakeholder involvement and imply new responsibilities for various ecosystem players. Additional research is also needed to study the process of incorporating circular economy principles into PP, the barriers to circular PP implementation and the collaborative approaches necessary for the success of GPP and circular PP.

Related to PP contracts, there are a few studies on the factors that impact the success of organisations in receiving PP contracts ( Blind et al. , 2020 ). For example, it has been shown that firm innovation or the ability to offer innovation is a success factor for many organisations winning PP contracts ( Georghiou et al. , 2014 ). Furthermore, researchers should investigate the relationship between organisations’ CSR efforts and their capacity to gain PP contracts ( Kaddouri and Saussier, 2022 ). This is crucial as prior studies show that organisations with higher CSR receive more PP contracts and that CSR can alleviate information asymmetries and signal trustworthiness ( Flammer, 2018 ). As infrastructure contracts are not fully fleshed out organisations are enticed to submit lower-than-usual bids and attempt to renegotiate terms after being awarded the contract ( Bosio et al. , 2022 ; Coviello and Mariniello, 2014 ; Decarolis and Palumbo, 2015 ). For PPPs, contract negotiation expenses are not restricted to the pre-delivery stage since renegotiation is often required for contracts that last several decades ( Ahadzi and Bowles, 2004 ). Bidders are deterred by the exorbitant entry fee, which is a clear barrier to entry. As a result, there is less initial competition among potential PPP contractors, leading to more market concentration ( Carbonara and Pellegrino, 2018 ; Wan, 2014 ). However, the regularity of contract renegotiation can offer concessions a relational quality ( Spiller, 2009 ) since contracts need to adjust to unanticipated circumstances. Therefore, it is of critical importance to determine whether or not renegotiations in PPPs are opportunistic requirements by one of the parties or mutually beneficial advances towards improved efficiency.

SMEs are generally underrepresented in PP markets despite their critical role in national economies in terms of employment opportunities, innovation and contribution to national GDP. While the literature assessing the efficacy of policy interventions to aid SMEs in PP is expanding quickly ( Reis and Cabral, 2015 ), the organisational capacities necessary to maximise the advantages of using these policy initiatives have received little critical attention. The importance of SMEs in PP has been discussed extensively in recent scholarly works ( Chien et al. , 2021 ; Patil, 2017 ; Torres-Pruñonosa et al. , 2021 ). However, the impact of SMEs’ involvement in international purchases has received scant research attention ( Namagembe et al. , 2021 ; Saastamoinen et al. , 2018 ). For SMEs to be competitive in the market, they must work around obstacles that reduce their efficiency and ability to secure contracts. Consequently, there is a need to inspect the capabilities necessary to enhance SME involvement in PP ( Akenroye et al. , 2020 ; Fayos et al. , 2022 ). Future studies should also examine how policies and regulations can encourage or hinder the participation of SMEs in PP. Since SMEs are often seen to be more dynamic and innovative than large enterprises, SME-friendly PP can thus encourage entrepreneurship and boost innovation ( Knutsson and Thomasson, 2014 ). Moreover, researchers should assess the benefits of having SMEs as suppliers in PP and the challenges they face in responding to the needs of public sector actors ( Karjalainen and Kemppainen, 2008 ).

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