Influence of external organizational pressure on the usage of eProcurement in referral hospitals in western Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing the usage of e-procurement in referral hospitals in western Kenya. The study was guided by serene objectives; to investigate the influence of perceived e-procurement usefulness on the usage of e-procurement in referral hospitals in Western Kenya. The study adopted cross-sectional Survey research design, with a target population of 2 facilities constituting 35 senior management officers and 205 middle level management, giving a total population of 240 personnel, from which a sample of 26 senior management officers and 155 middle level management officers and heads of departments were drawn using stratified random sampling technique, followed by simple random sampling with a mixture of purposive sampling technique to select the sampled Senior and Middle Level Management staff. The major findings were perceived e-procurement usefulness that also influenced the hospitals’ ability to use e-procurement. This study recommended that referral hospitals should continuously train their employees on matters e-procurement to enhance their understanding and ability to use e-procurement. The study also recommended that good ICT links between the potential suppliers and the referral hospitals should be established and the suppliers encouraged. As well, a stable ICT infrastructure in the organization including sufficient internet connectivity, power supply and sufficient computer soft and hardware should be enhanced. These were found to be likely to improve the organization’s ability to use e-procurement. Lastly, this study recommended that managerial commitment to the well-being of the referral hospitals, specifically to eprocurement, should be enhanced so that it accompanies the increased ease of implementation and hence use of the e-procurement procedure in an organization. The researcher therefore concluded this factor had significant influence on the usage of e-procurement in referral hospitals in Western Kenya.