EVALUATING E-TENDERING READINESS IN MALAYSIAN PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS PROCUREMENT: A PLS-SEM APPROACH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i43.2103Keywords:
e-tendering, public-private partnership, PPP procurement, readiness, digital procurement, PLS-SEMAbstract
The digitalisation of public procurement has accelerated the adoption of electronic tendering (e-tendering), particularly in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) procurement. However, many public organisations remain inadequately prepared for effective implementation. This study examines multidimensional e-tendering readiness in Malaysian PPP procurement by evaluating people, operational, technological, organisational, service provider, and legal-security dimensions. Data were collected from 121 government officers involved in Malaysian PPP procurement and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show that People factors (β = 0.170, p = 0.020) and Operational factors (β = -0.458, p < 0.001) significantly influence readiness, whereas Technology, Work Environment, Service Provider, and Legal and Security factors do not exert statistically significant direct effects. Overall, the findings indicate that human capability and process design are more decisive than technology availability alone. The paper offers a context-specific readiness model based on the perceptions of Malaysian government officers involved in PPP procurement and provides practical implications for public agencies seeking to strengthen digital tendering reform.
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