Socially and environmentally responsible procurement: A literature review and future research agenda of a managerial issue in the 21st century

This literature review offers a rigorous approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative techniques, to examine research to date in the field of socially and environmentally responsible procurement (SERP). It identifies that the SERP literature is at a critical juncture in its development and that researchers should be aware of the literature's shortcomings and potential points of fragmentation. This is of considerable importance if the field is to become a salient issue in the wider management literature. As such, this review not only takes stock of the existing literature, but it provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of existing contribution and their implications for practitioners. In addition, we highlight the avenues for future research, which has so far been neglected by academics, but which is critical from a practitioners and implementation perspective.

► Develops a framework of classification and analysis of the literature. ► Explores the impact of the field from various perspectives. ► Discusses the main barriers/drivers to implementation, benefits and outcomes. ► Highlights the limitations of the existing literature and their implications. ► Provides a research agenda of unexplored issues in the literature.