Horizontal purchasing collaboration in developing countries : behavioural issues in public united in Uganda

Horizontal purchasing collaboration is a popular practice, though developing countries have hardly adopted it. The study provides an understanding of what is happening with respect to behavioural aspects in collaboration, why and how they influence collaboration and application of this understanding in developing countries. Among the key findings, we found that in developing countries, where planning is less practiced, urgency of the deals can make entities join collaboration, without first anticipating the associated benefits. The study established that affective commitment, more than instrumental commitment and normative commitment, causes variability in commitment, an indication that in the initial phases of collaboration, instilling a sense of pride in the participants is vital. The finding that entities are attracted to collaborate with those that provide critical resources for which there are few alternative sources of supply is insightful. The study guides that to achieve the benefits of the collaboration; managers should try to increase its level of operation. A model is provided to advise how collaboration should be handled. An insightful finding that donors need to be involved in all phases of collaboration is more relevant to the developing countries that use relatively more donor resources. A practical check is also carried out to confirm the relevance of this model and other findings. This provides an empirical basis for practical interventions to issues that have hindered the desired horizontal purchasing collaboration in the developing countries.