The Impact of Purchasing Practice On Operational Performance: Study On Selected Ethiopian Public Higher Education Institutions Eastern Cluster

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of purchasing practice on operational performance: study on selected Ethiopian public higher education institutions among eastern cluster. Purchasing practices are vital activities in the public sector. The linkage of purchasing practice to operational performance in particular, makes the embracing of best practices important to success of organization. The study based on the assumption that proper purchasing planning; Bidding practice, supplier selections as well as training of workforce can result to better organizational operational performance. The target population of the study was the employees working at both selected higher education institutions 9519 the study grouped into two strata, academic and administration’s stratified proportionate random sampling techniques was used to selected a sample size of 200 From which primary data was collected using structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using descriptive, adopted both qualitative and quantitative and regression methods. The study established both selected higher education’s institutions purchasing practices to a moderate extent. It further found out that purchasing planning and supplier selections are important in influencing the operational performance. The study concluded that application of the purchasing practices in the operational performance is founded on proper planning and supplier selections. And the main finding of this study for both selected organizations to understand an increase in operational performance of staff, should also put in place ways to attack potential fears that might hinder its competitive advantage and teaching and learning process. Therefore, recommends that the key purchasing actors should come up with viable ways of managing purchasing process. The entire purchasing process should be a requirement as it can help in ensuring that organizations embrace modern technological ways and trends in handling and addressing purchasing issues.