Table 1 Dominant barrier domains to... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Dominant barrier domains to sustainable procurement in SOEs: evidence from prior studies (2014–2025)

Barrier domain (literature synthesis)	Typical manifestation in SOEs	Illustrative evidence (country; source)
Institutional/regulatory constraints	Fragmented SP policies; weak or non-enforceable environmental guidance; mandate misalignment where compliance and socio-economic objectives crowd out environmental criteria	South Africa (Phela et al., 2025; Quinot, 2023); Pakistan (Shaikh et al., 2024); India (Saroha et al., 2019, Mansi, 2015); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)
Governance, integrity, and political interference	Corruption; political capture; maladministration; weak consequence management and accountability mechanisms	South Africa (Nzimakwe, 2023; Myeza et al., 2021; Phela et al., 2025); Zimbabwe (Jere et al., 2021)
Supplier-market readiness and sustainability standards	Limited availability of green suppliers; weak supplier capabilities; unclear standards; underdeveloped markets	Kenya (Kiserema et al., 2025; Chelangat et al., 2015); USA (Roman, 2017); Pakistan (Shaikh et al., 2024)
Organisational structures and routines	Decentralised/siloed procurement; weak leadership; limited coordination; uneven enforcement	South Africa (Phela et al., 2025; Nzimakwe, 2023); USA (Roman, 2017); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015)
Financial constraints and cost pressures	Higher upfront costs; inadequate budgets; short-term cost focus	USA (Roman, 2017); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)
Technical capability: skills, tools, and awareness	Skills gaps; low awareness; weak access to life-cycle and ESG tools	South Africa (Nzimakwe, 2023); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)

Barrier domain (literature synthesis)	Typical manifestation in SOEs	Illustrative evidence (country; source)
Institutional/regulatory constraints	Fragmented SP policies; weak or non-enforceable environmental guidance; mandate misalignment where compliance and socio-economic objectives crowd out environmental criteria	South Africa (Phela et al., 2025; Quinot, 2023); Pakistan (Shaikh et al., 2024); India (Saroha et al., 2019, Mansi, 2015); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)
Governance, integrity, and political interference	Corruption; political capture; maladministration; weak consequence management and accountability mechanisms	South Africa (Nzimakwe, 2023; Myeza et al., 2021; Phela et al., 2025); Zimbabwe (Jere et al., 2021)
Supplier-market readiness and sustainability standards	Limited availability of green suppliers; weak supplier capabilities; unclear standards; underdeveloped markets	Kenya (Kiserema et al., 2025; Chelangat et al., 2015); USA (Roman, 2017); Pakistan (Shaikh et al., 2024)
Organisational structures and routines	Decentralised/siloed procurement; weak leadership; limited coordination; uneven enforcement	South Africa (Phela et al., 2025; Nzimakwe, 2023); USA (Roman, 2017); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015)
Financial constraints and cost pressures	Higher upfront costs; inadequate budgets; short-term cost focus	USA (Roman, 2017); Kenya (Chelangat et al., 2015); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)
Technical capability: skills, tools, and awareness	Skills gaps; low awareness; weak access to life-cycle and ESG tools	South Africa (Nzimakwe, 2023); Ireland (Gormly, 2014)

Source(s): Authors’ synthesis of prior studies (2014–2025)