CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT INITIATIVE OF THE UPSTREAM SECTOR OF THE NIGERIAN OIL AND GAS FIRMS.

In this study, the critical success factors (CSFs): organizational e-procurement competency, change management program, top management support, end-user training, supplier involvement, and e-procurement implementation strategy, that best support the management implementation of e-procurement initiatives in the Nigerian upstream sector of the oil and gas firms were examined. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study consists of all staff of the procurement entities of the respective Nigerian upstream sector of the oil and gas firms. A total of 232 copies of structured questionnaire were administered through convenience sampling technique while 229 copies were successfully retrieved. The model framework was estimated using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) technique through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22. It was revealed that all the CSFs examined have positive significant relationship with management implementation of e-procurement initiatives in the Nigerian upstream sector of the oil and gas firms. It was also revealed that organizational e-procurement competency confirmed the main factor that best support the management implementation of eprocurement initiative as displayed by the staff of the selected Nigerian upstream sector of the oil and gas firms. The study recommends that management should make end-users of new technology see change as a necessary ingredient for the growth of the organization because things cannot continuously be done the same way over time. Thus, top management support is needed in ensuring that end-users are trained with the requisite skills in the use of eprocurement practices. Also, management should build good business synergy, sensitization, confidence, and create opportunities for suppliers to offer their contributions/feedbacks in terms of necessary changes, issues, and concerns in developing and maintaining supplier catalogues/workability of the proposed e-procurement initiative. This will allow management to monitor areas for improvement and adjustment of e-procurement practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]