Driving green procurement in a developing country: The roles of corporate environmental ethics, environmental training, and top management commitment

ABSTRACT

Green procurement expands firms’ possibilities to contribute to environmental sustainability goals in supply chains, although knowledge of its drivers remains underdeveloped in developing countries. This research extends the literature on corporate environmental ethics to green procurement by developing a conceptual model, which posits that environmental training mediates the link between these variables under varying top management commitment conditions. The study’s hypotheses are tested on survey data from 189 firms in Ghana. The results indicate that corporate environmental ethics does not directly relate to green procurement. Additional results suggest that corporate environmental ethics is a significant driver of green procurement if channeled through environmental training. Furthermore, the study finds that the contribution of environmental training to green procurement is amplified in firms where top managers demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental issues. Accordingly, this article presents insights into how firms in developing countries can leverage environmental ethics to pursue green procurement objectives.

KEYWORDS:

• corporate environmental ethics
• green procurement
• environmental training
• top management commitment
• resource-based view

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emmanuel Kwabena Anin

Emmanuel K. Anin (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana. Dr. Anin's research focuses on the intersection of inter-firm relationship governance, procurement management, sustainability, and supply chain management. He has published in reputable journals, including the Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Africa Journal of Management, International Journal of Public Administration, Research in Transportation Business & Management, and Journal of Inter-Organizational Relationships Sciences.

Daniel Etse

Daniel Etse (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana. Dr. Este research centers on the intersection of sustainability and supply chain management. He has published in esteemed journals with significant impact, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Cleaner Production, Environmental, Development, and Sustainability, and Journal of Academic Librarianship.

Gilbert Anyowuo Okyere

Gilbert Anyowuo Okyere is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Human Resources and Organizational Development at the KNUST School of Business, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research interest focuses on Talent Management, Strategic Human Resource Management, Sustainability and Employee-Related Issues. He is a fellow at the Regional Transport Research and Education Center - Kumasi (TRECK).

Darlington Bright Yao Adanfo

Darlington Bright Yao Adanfo holds a PhD in Business and Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. Dr. Adanfo works at the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Directorate of Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Ghana.