Investigating Ethics in Government Procurement: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Government procurement, being the largest business sector worldwide, faces significant challenges in terms of corruption, lack of transparency, and accountability. This study performs a bibliometric analysis to quantify and evaluate the scientific production on ethics in government procurement, identifying trends and associations between key terms over time. Using the Scopus database, 236 relevant documents dating from 1983 to 2024 were extracted, revealing a predominance of research articles and increasing attention to the topic, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate the importance of sustainable and responsible practices, as well as the potential of technological innovation, such as blockchain implementation and electronic contracting, to improve the integrity and efficiency of government procurement.