An Integrated Approach to Organizational Purchasing Strategies: A Scoping Review

Over the last two decades, significant research has been conducted on the role that a strategic approach to purchasing can play in organizations. Despite conducting significant research to identify and develop the dimensions of the issue using theoretical and operational approaches, and in some cases, a pathological point of view to identify and address existing gaps, it appears that a holistic and integrated perspective is necessary for addressing the issue of purchasing strategies. Therefore, the current research focuses on describing studies on purchasing strategies. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of this subject.

In line with the research's purpose, the systematic review methods were evaluated in the first step, and out of the 14 review methods, the scoping review method was chosen. Next, a six-step methodological framework has been introduced and applied to guide the scoping review. These steps include the following. 1) Identifying and defining the research question, 2) Identifying the relevant researches, 3) Selecting studies related to the research question,4) Showing data in tables,5) Sorting, summarizing and reporting findings,6) optional consulting with the stakeholders about the findings.In summary, a scoping review approach was used to examine five credible scientific databases: Scopus, Ebsco, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Emerald. This examination resulted in the extraction of 4697 articles. After three stages of screening, including: 1) evaluating the publication date, title, keywords, and abstract, 2) checking for non-repetitiveness of articles, and 3) conducting an in-depth evaluation of their content, 82 articles were selected for detailed review. The screening framework used was PRISMA, which holds high credibility in the literature of review research.

Based on the results obtained, the publication of articles in this field has been increasing since the beginning of the 21st century. The investigation revealed that empirical methods were used in more than 50% of the articles, while conceptual methods were used in about 16%, and interpretive methods in 11%. Europe, Asia, and America account for 37%, 20%, and 17% of the frequency of empirical articles, respectively. A significant portion of the reviewed articles (49%) have been conducted across various industries, irrespective of a specific sector, with industrial equipment ranking next. In terms of content, the types of purchasing strategies, the impact of purchasing strategies on the organization's performance, and purchasing portfolio models have all gained significant attention. Researchers have examined the factors influencing purchasing strategies and the importance of aligning purchasing strategies with other organizational strategies.

Conducting research using a scoping review approach has advantages over non-systematic review studies, as it ensures greater accuracy and credibility, reducing the likelihood of deviating from the primary research goal. The reason for this is a lack of attention to the research subject and questions, and reliance on improper and sometimes unreliable databases and sources. In this topic, some studies conducted using a systematic review method have attempted to enhance the subject of purchasing strategy by drawing from other concepts and topics. The current research aims to identify the areas explored in the field of organizational purchasing strategies to either advance existing studies or fill gaps in the research.Reviewing and analyzing various types of research conducted since 1994 revealed a significant increase in the number of studies focusing on purchasing strategies and related concepts such as purchasing management, supply management, and supply strategies since the early 21st century. A descriptive and content analysis of these studies was conducted, highlighting the key accomplishments in terms of content.{revised} Despite the equivalent use of "purchase" and "supply" in many types of research and reports, there is a difference between these two concepts.The strategy formation and selection are influenced by internal and environmental factors that impact purchasing strategies (as antecedents).Depending on various internal and environmental conditions, organizations can adopt a wide range of actions and strategies in the field of purchasing. Usually, organizations create strategies by classifying the items they need and implementing methods that may not even be mentioned in the existing literature.In recent years, there has been a growing interest in exploring the connection between purchasing strategies and various factors such as purchasing portfolio models, organizational performance, alignment with other strategies across different organizational levels, product life cycle, and supplier relationship management. This issue has been addressed and developed in the scoping review of this research.5. We highlight the gaps concerning the importance of creating diverse, distinct, and adaptable purchasing strategy models. Additionally, there is a need to focus more on conducting industry-level studies in this area that are applicable across various industries.