Assessing the State of Procurement Knowledge Production: Implications for the Federal Government

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the realm of purchasing knowledge in order to glean theoretical and practical insights that are useful to academicians and practitioners. The primary goals are to evaluate the extent to which purchasing research relies on theory and to identify and summarize the central theories germane to the purchasing discipline. Additionally, using social network analysis, this study explores patterns and insights from knowledge producers (i.e., individuals and institutions) and knowledge repositories (i.e., academic journals). Finally, this research combines the theoretical analysis and the social network analysis to identify the best practices that can be used in federal procurement.