Responsible Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Kenya: A Critical Analysis of the Ethical Considerations in Procurement Management

Abstract

This paper presents the concepts of beneficence, responsibility and accountability in procurement management through an examination of ethical theories and their application to managerial challenges which typically confront procurement managers, their employees and suppliers in Kenya and in other countries. The main research drivers were focused on the ethical tendering, accountability, transparency and fairness in awards. The literature review employed various theories such as: Virtue Theory, Utilitarian Theory, and Kantian Theory. Of course, these approaches are considered in relation to the procurement management implications.

Purpose: The main purpose of the paper was to investigate the role of ethical consideration in Kenyan procurement management approaches.

Methodology and Research design: The paper employed a case research design. A survey of the selected study population from Central and Nairobi Provinces of Kenya was carried out by the use of questionnaires through focus group discussions. The sample size of this research was estimated at 150 participants.

Findings: The findings suggest that the current procurement management is deficient of ethical inclination and should therefore employ ethical consideration to re-invent itself.

Conclusion: This study is focused on the responsible purchasing and supply chain management in Kenya, with a critical analysis of the ethical considerations in procurement management.Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that, there are some impediments associated with the current procurement management and thus ethical consideration could help re-engineer the whole system.

Keywords: Ethical purchasing, procurement management, Theories and principles, Kantian theory, Virtue ethics, Utilitarian Principle, ethical tendering, responsibility accountability