Development networks, procurement career identity and performance of public procurement officers in Uganda

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between development networks, procurement career identity and performance of public procurement officers. The study was prompted by reviews or reports of poor or unsatisfactory performance of public procurement officers. The objectives of the study were to establish the relationship between development networks and procurement career identity, examine how work centrality affects the performance of public procurement officers, establish how desire for upward mobility affects the performance of public procurement officers and examine the relationship between procurement career identity and performance of public procurement officers. A cross sectional research design was used to study one hundred eight (108) Procurement and Disposal Entities (PDEs) at Central Government level in Uganda and two hundred twenty six (226) public procurement officers. Results reveal that development networks and procurement career identity which constitutes work centrality and desire for upward mobility were significant predictors of performance of public procurement officers in Ugandan Procurement and Disposal Entities (PDEs). We therefore, recommend that public procurement officers should be members of development networks, in order to boost their work centrality and desire for upward mobility thus enhancement of their procurement career identity, which will lead to high performance levels.