J. OF PUBLIC BUDGETING, ACCOUNTING & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 12(2), 272-290 SUMMER 2000
GOVERNMENT PURCHASING: AN EVOLVING PROFESSION?
Guy Callender and Darin Matthews*
ABSTRACT. As government organizations step hopefully into a new century, among the
challenges they face will be the demands of the “New Purchasing” and persistent pressure to
redefine the role of the purchasing practitioner in government. Reengineering of purchasing
activities was a constant feature of the 1990s in many government jurisdictions. Those who
manage the function usually influence a large share of organizational expenditure and must also
cope with the demands of e-commerce, devolution of responsibility, partnering and strategic
alliances, and the implications of globalization within the context of an accountable public
sector. Applying some theoretical, functionalist models of a profession, this paper seeks to
establish professional credentials for purchasing practitioners.
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, it seems that many governments have developed policies
that have “championed smaller government … and a shift in national income
to profits” (Bell, 1997: 182). Government reform in the areas of competition,
privatization, labor market practices and deregulation appear to be widespread
(Thurow, 1992; Hughes, 1994;
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* Guy Callender, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer, School of Management, University of
Technology, Sydney, Australia. His teaching and research interests bridge both public
and private sectors in the areas of supply chain management, global business
intelligence and cross-cultural management. Darin Matthews, CPPO, C.P.M., is the
Procurement and Contracts Administrator for Multnomah County, Oregon. He has
been working in the field of government procurement since 1987.
Copyright © 2000 by PrAcademics Press