Sustainable procurement in Malaysian organizations: Practices, barriers and opportunities

•Study basically explored operational and behavioral practices related with sustainability.•No significant variation in SP practices between the public and private organizations.•Financial pressures posed the most significant barrier to SP implementation.•Organizational efficiency and transparency provided optimal opportunities for implementing SP practices.•Uncovered a new factor, religion, which influences employees׳ engagement in sustainable practices.

The purpose of this study is to uncover the extent of sustainable procurement practices amongst procurement directors/managers employed in public and private sector organizations in Malaysia, a developing country where socialization is underpinned by religious beliefs. The results showed there is a significant variation in the adoption of sustainable procurement across the sectors with the private sector registering significantly higher levels of SP practices than their public counterparts. Lack of awareness posed the most significant barrier to sustainable procurement implementation regardless of organizations or sectors whilst improved working conditions, an organization׳s/council׳s/public image, and organizational efficiency and transparency provided optimal opportunities for implementing sustainable procurement practices. Finally this study identified the two new factors of religion and sense of humanity as influencing an employee׳s engagement in sustainable procurement practices.