Examination of the Effects of Personal and Purchasing Unit Characteristics on Types of Problems Experienced and Types of Contracts That Are Problematic

Abstract

This paper provides a contribution to the knowledge of contract administration by examining the role of personal and organization characteristics in project success. The research described in this paper examines the effects that personal and organizational characteristics of procurement professionals have on project success, specifically on the frequency and severity of problems experienced for different types of contracts. The analysis is based on the data collected from a survey of National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) members, conducted by Davison and Sebastian in 2011. The survey included questions on the frequency and severity of contract problems over a variety of contracts and questions related to the characteristics of the respondents and their organization. A set of personal and organizational characteristics (ex. organization type, current position, the length of service in procurement, the length of service in current position, highest level of education, certificates that respondent possesses, the approximate annual volume of purchases made by the respondent and his/her entire agency etc.) were analyzed with contingency tables methodology to examine any relationship to the frequency and severity of contract problems over a variety of contract types.