Green Procurement Practices and Performance of Small Scale Manufacturing Firms in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania

Purpose: Globally, green procurement practices have taken over as the new competitive frontier and can not be overlooked since they are among the prominent agenda for sustainable business operations and competitiveness. Therefore, the study aimed to analyse green procurement practices adopted by small scale manufacturing firms and thereafter examine the influence of the practices on firms’ performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross sectional explanatory survey design was used to guide the study whereby a total of registered 158 small scale manufacturing firms were surveyed in Kinondoni District within the Dar es Salaam Region. A stratified sampling approach was used to select procurement managers as key respondents in the respective firms and data were collected using a survey questionnaire and key informant interviews. Data was analysed by descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression to determine the causal relationship between the key variables. Findings: The results indicate that the model chi-square was 765.9 and p < 0.005 implying a significant influence of green procurement practices on performance. Further findings indicate that green procurement practices including green specification, early supplier involvement, top management support, reverse logistics, supplier monitoring, and supportive policies had a significant influence (p < 0.005) on small scale manufacturing firms’ performance. Practical Implications: It was concluded that green procurement practices are essential to the survival and profitability of the firms in the technological-driven competitive business environment as regulated by the Government. Originality/Value: While there is a growing interest in sustainability practices, there is relatively less research focused on the specific influence of green procurement practices on small scale manufacturing firms’ performance. This study addresses this gap and contributes to a deeper understanding of this relationship.