Uncovering the Green Procurement Knowledge Structure: a Systematic Citation Network Analysis

Recently, academics and practitioners have devoted considerable attention to studying green procurement. Due to the growing number of articles in this fast-evolving domain, it is critical to examine the current body of knowledge thoroughly. The knowledge structure and dissemination channels in this field have been systematically examined for the first time. Four hundred fifty-two Scopus journal articles were analysed using keyword co-occurrence network and main path analysis (MPA) to identify the important research topics and historical evolution of green procurement research. The findings indicate that the literature focuses on multiple topics, including green supply chain management, sustainable public procurement, sustainability, green supplier selection, and environmental management. The primary focus of research has been on the determinants and difficulties of green public procurement. Recently, there has been an increased focus on the determinants of green procurement in the construction and education sectors. The novelty of this study is that it examines the evolution of knowledge in green procurement. Additionally, it offers the ability to analyse the diffusion and structure of knowledge, assisting researchers in successfully navigating hundreds of articles and expanding their understanding of the green procurement domain’s history, current state, and future directions.