Human resource development for inclusive procurement by intermediation: a situated learning theory application

Nick Theodorakopoulos*, Monder Ram, Beckinsale Martin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper fills an important gap in the human resource development (HRD) literature by considering the role that NGO intermediation initiatives can play in bringing together and developing corporate procurement officials (CPOs) and ethnic minority business owner-managers (EMBOs) supplying goods and services. It has been suggested that such initiatives hold great promise in helping ethnic minority businesses escape from their disadvantageous sectoral concentration in the UK. Using situated learning theory as an application lens, the main aim of this paper is to demonstrate how nurturing communities of practice of CPOs and EMBOs and facilitating their interaction can help their professional development and their approaches to procuring and supplying, respectively. The paper reports on the authors' experience with an action research programme encompassing two intermediation initiatives of this kind. The lessons drawn from this study are useful for all those concerned with HRD for inclusive procurement; intermediaries promoting inclusive procurement, large procurers who are willing to engage with supplier diversity and ethnic minority suppliers who wish to access corporate procurement systems and 'break-out'.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2321-2338
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of Human Resource Management
Volume24
Issue number12
Early online date20 May 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2013

Bibliographical note

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in The International Journal of Human Resource Management on 20 May 2013, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09585192.2013.781433

Keywords

  • communities of practice
  • competences development
  • diversity and inclusion
  • HRD
  • practice-based HRD

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Human resource development for inclusive procurement by intermediation: a situated learning theory application'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this