What drives sustainable procurement? Insights from the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

Purpose A fundamental research question is what leads some organizations, but not others, to be sustainable in their procurement operations. Extant theoretical frameworks, while valuable, do not fully reflect the nuances of decision-making in procurement operations. We aim to illuminate the role of individual attitudes, capabilities, and behavioral intentions in actualizing sustainable procurement. Design/methodology/approach We develop a framework by adapting the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to the context of sustainable procurement. We test the framework with a sample of 465 procurement professionals based in the EU through partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings We find that sustainable purchasing behavior is predominantly shaped by behavioral intention, that is, willingness to pay for sustainability. This behavioral intention is significantly influenced by individual attitudes and capabilities in addition to awareness of consequences and perceived corporate social responsibility engagement but, interestingly, not by individual subjective norms. Originality/value The TPB is one of the most influential models for predicting behavior. However, the application of the theory in operations management is hitherto limited. The present study contributes to understanding individual-level antecedents of operations management practices and offers suggestions to practitioners engaged in fostering sustainable procurement.