Challenges facing procurement and supply professions in Tanzania: higher education students’ perceptions

Abstract

Purpose – Despite the fact that students in higher education contributes significantly to the number of professionals, little has been done to incorporate the students’ perspectives on the status of procurement and supply professions in Tanzania. This study examined the challenges confronting the procurement and supply professions from the perspective of future procurement professionals enrolled in Tanzanian higher education. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from undergraduate students majoring in procurement and supply chain management in Tanzanian higher education using a structured questionnaire. Findings – The findings revealed that the challenges affecting the procurement and supply professions were buyer- and supplier-related challenges as perceived by Tanzanian higher education students. Research limitations/implications – The study’s findings should be generalized with caution because the findings represent the perspectives of Tanzanian procurement and supply undergraduate business students. Furthermore, the included sample of procurement and supply undergraduates cannot represent all students’ perceptions; thus, other studies may broaden the sample by including the opinions of other higher education students. Originality/value – This is the first study that looks at how students in higher education institutions, who are considered future procurement and supply professionals, perceive the challenges of the procurement and supply professions in Tanzania.