Social cohesion, groupthink and ethical behavior of public procurement officers

Ntayi, Joseph Mpeera; Byabashaija, Warren; Eyaa, Sarah; Ngoma, Muhammed; Muliira, Alex

doi:10.1108/jopp-10-01-2010-b003

Cited by 34 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…It is therefore imperative that governments pay particular attention to public procurement in order to create wealth for the growth and development of their economies (Munyera, 2014). In fact, huge sums of tax payers' money get wasted due to inefficient and ineffective procurement structures, poor monitoring systems, non adherence to policies and procedures, non-compliance to regulations as well as the failure of authorities to impose and implement sanctions for violations of procurement rules (Ntayi et al, 2010a). In order to improve the management of public procurement, many countries have come up with procurement reforms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compliance Issues with Public Procurement Regulations in Ghana

Chikwere¹,

Dzandu²,

Dza³

2019

IJBM

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This study examines compliance issues with public procurement regulations in Ghana. The simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample size of 100 practitioners from public institutions in Ghana. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that although public procurement entities in Ghana have made some strides in improving compliance levels with the public procurement law, majority of public institutions disregard their management systems and contract management processes among others. The study indicates that familiarity (p-value = 0.020) though inversely related, incompetence (p-value =0.023), political interference (p-value =0.000) and poor monitoring (p-value =0.010) were significant factors in explaining non-compliance with the legal framework of public procurement in Ghana. The research further discovered that officials in charge of public procurement flout the rules and regulations with impunity. To address the issue of non-conformance by public officials, it is imperative for the Public Procurement Authority to desist from embarking on what could best be described as selective justice and apply the law equally on all non-conforming public institutions. The authority must also strengthen its monitoring systems to ensure that offenders are apprehended and adequately sanctioned according to the law.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compliance Issues with Public Procurement Regulations in Ghana

Chikwere¹,

Dzandu²,

Dza³

2019

IJBM

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“…These findings are in line with Banwo et al (2015), Chang and Bordia (2001), Mullen et al (1994) and Rose (2011), who found out that the relationship between group cohesion and good or poor performance of a group is complicated. This suggests that attention in our context may need to shift away from cohesiveness of groups to other factors when groupthink behaviour is to be avoided as also indicated by other studies (t ' Hart, 1991;Mpeera Ntayi et al, 2010).…”

Section: Groupthink and Decision Makingmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…The groupthink predictors studied in this study were cohesiveness, trust, conformity, promotional leadership and members' diversity as adopted from different researchers (Baptist, 2015;Janis, 1991;Park, 2000). On assessing the presence of each predictor, statements were developed on the basis of different kinds of literature as follows: Group cohesiveness (Banwo et al, 2015;Mpeera Ntayi et al, 2010;Mullen et al, 1994;Park, 2000;Turner et al, 1992); Trust (Simons and Peterson, 1998;Janis, 1991;t' Hart, 1991;Baptist, 2015). Leadership styles in groups was also assessed to identify the presence of promotional leadership which has been mentioned as a profound antecedent from (Rose, 2011) and Group members diversity adopted from Baptist (2015), Park (2000), Smith and Nichols (2015).…”

Section: Data Collection and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of groupthink and decision making in a collectivism culture: the case of a public organization in Tanzania

Tarmo

Issa

2021

IJPL

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PurposeGroupthink happens in-group decision-making processes whereby members of a group prematurely arrive at a decision that may indicate consensus but for the aim of protecting group harmony. This limits the contributions of the individuals' talents, ideas, competences and experiences to more effective decisions. Although there are a number of studies on predictors (forecasters) of groupthink, they do not consider the influence of the African cultural aspects of collectivism, high power distance and tolerance on groupthink that may characterise the decision-making context in African settings. It is in that context that this case study analyses groupthink in a public sector organization in Tanzania.Design/methodology/approachThis paper unveils the presence of groupthink predictors that can affect the quality of decisions made in groups within the Tanzania context. The study was conducted in one of the public institutions in Tanzania that is under the Ministry of Home affairs. The study population included Directors, Managers, Heads of units, District registration officers and other officials as shown in Table 1. These are the people who participate in decision-making processes in the organization and were drawn from different offices of the organization including the headquarter office, Kibaha Data centre, District Registration offices from different regions including Dares Salaam, Coast region, Arusha, Mtwara, Mwanza, Manyara, Mbeya, Singida, Dodoma, Geita, Lindi and Njombe – these 12 administrative regions are among the 27 regions that make up the Tanzania mainland. Through simple random and purposive sampling methods, a total of 97 participants participated effectively. The criterion for participation being participants must have been involved with at least one decision-making group experience. The choice of the organization was done on the basis that it is a relatively a new institution of importance; it was also possible to get from it the needed data.FindingsThe results of the study show that there is the presence of groupthink predictors of high trust, conformity and promotional leadership in decision-making groups in the organization. Furthermore, the diversity of group members alone indicates to be insufficient reason to avoid Groupthink. It is suggested that other important factors might be at play in group decision making including the influence of African cultural characteristics.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to only one institution. For a study of this nature to be undertaken access to data could be a very significant problem. Limiting it to one organization we are familiar with made it a bit easy to achieve access.Practical implicationsGroup decision making and groupthink are rarely in discourse in Africa. Tanzania is not isolated from the world, and being a country that unity is a cultural tenet that is promoted at every level from the family to national level (Rwegelera, 2003; Tripp, 1999) effects of groupthink is reasonably conspicuous because of the inbuilt national culture that has shaped people to be tolerant and accepting of different perspectives, ethnic groups, religious and races (Tripp, 1999). The same tolerance and acceptance may be transferred to decision-making groups and easily cause the occurrence of groupthink that can affect the quality of decisions made.Social implicationsThe Tanzania government has dedicated itself to putting strict measures to prohibit unethical and erroneous decisions that cost the nation including reducing employees' misconduct. The findings of this study indicate that there are hidden aspects like groupthink that are not reached by those measures yet ironically impacts the decisions made in organizations and in turn costs organizations and the country at large and calls for the government and its institutions together with the private sector to be awakened and alerted if they are dedicated and concerned about the quality of decisions they make.Originality/valueThis is an original research work building on previous research. Some findings on groupthink and implications have Western origins. In Africa, we need to figure out what is making the continent not to make significant steps to change the social-economic environment. This study highlights to both African academics and leaders with no management background to make them understand groupthink as a phenomena that has implications to quality decisions. It will also prompt similar studies and therefore widen understanding on decisions making.

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“…Based on the literature, tendering performance is influenced by rigid procurement legislation that focuses on open competition and a price-centric approach with narrow specifications (Harland et al , 2013; Uyarra et al , 2014). This creates unfavourable collective norms and excessive compliance to regulations, distorting individual creativity and rational decisions (Mpeera Ntayi et al , 2010). For instance, public buyers may partially select unqualified or lower-bid suppliers because of existing norms that reinforce efficiency over effective tendering (Dekel and Dotan, 2018; Dekel and Schurr, 2014).…”

Section: Antecedents and Contingencies And Their Effect On Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the role of social capital in public procurement

EL Bizri,

Karttunen,

Lintukangas

2023

JOPP

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Purpose This study aims to build on social capital theory (SCT) and its dimensions by examining the role of social capital in the public procurement process and by identifying related contingencies that may influence procurement performance. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review and a thematic analysis regarding social capital in procurement are conducted. The antecedent–behaviour–consequence (ABC) model is used for illuminating linkages between social capital, contingencies and procurement performance. Findings The dimensions of social capital are investigated in the procurement process; however, the extent of social capital role can vary between the phases of the process. It is concluded that the contingencies of social dynamics are linked with social capital and may influence the outcomes and performance of the procurement process. Practical implications Social capital can ease interactions between public buyers and private suppliers by contributing to effective tendering, improving social interaction in negotiations and balancing rigidity in contract management, supporting the interests of both parties. The provided framework helps decision makers to comprehend the social dynamics in public procurement. Social implications Improving social dynamics and solutions in public procurement. Originality/value This study extends social capital research in the field of public procurement and creates a framework connecting social capital and prevailing contingency factors to procurement process performance.

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Social cohesion, groupthink and ethical behavior of public procurement officers

Cited by 34 publications

References 46 publications

Compliance Issues with Public Procurement Regulations in Ghana

Compliance Issues with Public Procurement Regulations in Ghana

An analysis of groupthink and decision making in a collectivism culture: the case of a public organization in Tanzania

Exploring the role of social capital in public procurement

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