A systems approach for green public procurement implementation

Purpose This paper aims to identify important factors in green public procurement (GPP) implementation and then to clarify how these factors affect GPP implementation. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied the Delphi method first and then conducted a focused and constrained multiple case study at 18 government procurement centers across China. Findings The authors identified four clusters of factors for successful GPP implementation: more clear, consistent and operational policy goals; a nation-wide green procurement campaign to enhance social capital and cultural resources; promoting staff's ethics, professionalism, capacity and knowledge; and establishing checks and balances among organizations involved in the whole purchasing process. Social implications GPP can significantly improve environmental protection and sustainable development. Originality/value Based on key insights from systems theory and agency theory, the authors emphasize that GPP implementation must take down its own functional silos and adopt a process approach across organizational tiers to synchronize human resource based and inter-organizational capabilities into a unified whole through information sharing, communications and collaboration.