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CHAPTER 3
THE PLANNING, ORGANISING, LEADING AND CONTROL OF PROCUREMENT
3.5.1.5 Strategic Business Skills
These skills relate to broader strategic issues and how procurement can have an
impact on overall organisational value, such as planning and managing strategic
partnerships and alliances, managing risk and adding value to the organisation.
3.5.2 LEADERSHIP VIRTUES
Virtues to be developed by procurement leaders include ethics, trust and respect
for others, honesty and using power responsibly [15]. Authenticity in leadership
is described as being true to yourself or being the person that you are rather
than projecting an image or persona [16]. Authentic leadership incorporates
transformational leadership and ethical leadership or could be seen to add ethical
leadership qualities to the established transformational leadership style [17].
An authentic leader is self-aware and guided by a set of values, or high moral
standards. He or she is viewed as honest and as possessing integrity, which is
demonstrated through transparency. It results in fair and balanced decisions.
An authentic leader is seen to be doing what is right and fair for the leader and
his or her followers [17].
The distinguishing features of authentic leadership, as opposed to
transformational and other leadership styles, are leader self-awareness and
self-regulation, emotional containment, and a commitment to enabling follower
success through supporting their development. Such leaders address the need
for authentic leaders who can successfully operate in an increasingly complex
working environment [18, 19].
3.5.3 LEADERSHIP TASKS
Leading a procurement department involves communication, motivation, conflict
management and negotiation. In order to perform these roles, procurement
leaders need to help define the purpose of the organisation and the improvement
of principles and values. They must ensure that there is a continuous programme
of education and self-improvement for everyone in the organisation while
removing barriers that prevent improvement and open communication. Their
actions must demonstrate the integrity of their principles and values.
3.6 CONTROLLING
The purpose of control is to give the procurement manager information about
why a certain objective, performance standard or any other indicator has
not been met. Five major tasks underlie the procurement manager’s control
responsibilities. These include revising and updating plans as new and
better information becomes available; standardising control processes and
procedures across the procurement organisation; evaluating procurement
officers’ performance; preventing problems and complaints; and protecting the
organisation’s reputation and viability.